The After Effect
by Kumiko212
Summary: The aftermath of season1 left Kitty to believe that what they are doing now isn't potentially keeping the world from worser fates. She then finds a dragon, is reunited with Peter, and sent to genosha. Just as evil strengthens, so does the romance linger.
1. Enter the Dragon!

"This is just great... It's bad enough we have to deal with the here and now, but now we know what's going to happen isn't any prettier..." Kitty ranted as she slouched on the couch. She hated the situation, as once again they know the future won't be as bright as they've worked so hard for it to be.

"Relax Kitty. We just have to wait for the next update to know whose ass to kick when... besides we beat Magneto, and the Phoenix Force thing. I think the odds are looking pretty good" Bobby replied placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"But what if all we are doing now is shifting the future... and the outcome will always end up bad" She spoke and all fell silent at the idea.

"Don't think about it like that Kitty" Jean spoke positively "We still don't know if the future this time around is any worse than it was"

"It did seem more structured" Scott added

"In the meantime, we should all go rest up until Charles discovers more about the current future" Logan practically ordered as he left the living room.

"I suppose I should take my leave mein freunds" Kurt announced as he stood up.

"Are you going back so soon?" Kitty asked saddened

"Genosha needs to be rebuilt, and now that Magneto is no longer its leader, there's no harm in helping other mutants who now live there" Kurt defended his decision

"Yeah, and Wanda sure does seem to miss you" Beast inputted humorously.

"At least stay for a few more days, and then I can fly you there myself" Kitty was now standing by her friend holding his hand. Attempting to keep her friend from leaving her side just because there was no fighting for the good of human and mutant kind alike coming up anytime soon.

"The X-Jet does need some work, it'll take me about a week to complete all the repairs, you can stay 'til then" Forge added, knowing that by pulling full time work he could fix it sooner, but he still needed to finish work elsewhere in the mansion, and keep the danger room in constant working standards for the x-men to train.

"Yeah, and heck maybe we can go and help out with you if nothing came up from the future end of the spectrum" Bobby joked

"Please" Kitty ended their attempts as she looked up at Kurt with her puppy dog eyes

"Sorry Kätzchen, I will be of more use there, than I am here..." without giving any other chances for her to speak up he teleported away.

"Well this sucks" Kitty kicked and stuffed her hands in her pockets before she left the room

"What's up with Kitty?" Scott asked Jean who had a concerned facial expression

"She's just down... I'll go talk to her" She began to stand up but Bobby placed a hand in her way

"No, I'll go..." Bobby spoke and Jean smiled at her reading his mind _"She'll feel bad about being the one upset while you just finished going through..." _his mind wandered into all that's happened before he could formulate the words in his head

"_Alright, but be cautious, pick your words well" _Bobby nodded and ran after Kitty

"Well, how about a level 8 Danger room sim?" Scott asked and Beast smiled

"Just like the old days" Beast proclaimed as they left the room.

* * *

"Kitty hold up" Bobby called out as they were now walking around outside. Kitty leaned against a tree, her arms wrapped around herself. She kept away from facing Bobby, and new better than to show her face before she began to cry.

"Leave me alone Bobby" She spat out as tears were beginning to form and build up.

"What's wrong with you? We just saved the world" He cheered.

"How do you know that! You heard the professor, the world might end up worse than it was... all because of us..." Kitty started to walk away further out the field towards the ledge view on the ocean.

"So you just want to quit" Bobby spoke sternly, following her as she walked

"That's not why I'm upset Bobby... I just miss how it was, before this whole mess. I miss my friends, I miss Peter, and now Kurt's more interested in Wanda than hanging around his friends, I just... it took a while, but it just now hit me how nothing will ever be the same... no matter what we do, the future won't be that happy ending we want" Kitty said as she wiped her eyes. She was worried, she was confused, all this and now mutants are hated even more after the attack Magneto had on the city. The MRD are rebuilding themselves and preparing for another attack, and new forces popping out of every corner.

"Kitty I-" Bobby reached his hand out to her but was cut off at the sudden quake that made them both tumble "What was that?"

"Look!" Kitty pointed outwards at the light that appeared from the middle of the ocean view. A few seconds later a harsh wind blew, sending them both falling back. Bobby caught Kitty who fell back on him and turned them both facing the floor, and placed a protective arm over as the gust calmed down.

"Kitty, are you alright?" He looked to where his arm covered but she had already phased through him and was standing up to study the view.

"Bobby, could you ice bridge us there?" Kitty asked and he looked at her strangely

"Probably, but shouldn't we tell the others?" He exclaimed

"No time, the crash's smoke is fading, Ice-up!" Kitty ordered and he did. She wrapped her arms around his cold torso and looked up at him. "Full speed Iceman"

"Aye Aye Captian" Bobby formed the bridge of ice and began to slide through to the crash site.

"It could be nothing" Kitty spoke feeling the sudden tense atmosphere between her and Bobby

"Yeah sure" Bobby more tense of having this pretty girl hold him so tight that it might make him melt; than the actual worry on what this could be.

"Probably a satellite, or something, but still worth a quick peek don't you agree?" Kitty once again attempted to removed all this intense air that she failed to notice was Bobby's reaction to how close she was to him

"You're not cold?" Bobby asked

"I can deal... how long till we get there?" She toughened up

"A good few minutes" He quickened his pace by steepening the path their travelling on, while creating pillars on the way to hold their weight.

"Whoa" they spoke in unison as they saw what had hit the water. A whirlpool formed and the bottom of the sea bed completely revealed at one patch where a large rock formation glowed, but dimmed the more they looked at it.

"You think you can ice the whirlpool into place for us to take a closer look?" Kitty asked

"Doubt it. The current's too strong" Bobby answered yet still attempted to do so. The ice he formed broke up at the instant of freezing.

"Lower us to take a closer look then" Kitty ordered and he smiled

"Pushy pushy..." he made a circular path around to get closer to the water level.

"Do you see that?" Kitty asked pointing at a moving object she glanced at.

"No, probably a flailing fish though" Bobby assumed but without another word Kitty jumped off the bridge "Kitty!"

"I know I saw something Bobby" She said before she phased into the rock formation. He waited for her to reappear, and in worry he began to make his way down. He reached the patch where Kitty has phased through, and stood in worry at how harsh the water would collapse, and how the odds of him stopping it from happening with ice were unlikely.

He was suddenly grabbed and pulled down. "Hey!" he yelled before he was completely inside the rock. "A warning would be nice!" He protested but Kitty placed her hand on his mouth before he could say anything else

"Bobby, this isn't a rock..." Kitty spoke as Bobby recollected his thoughts and looked around "I think it's a spaceship"

"Too much Sci-Fi Drake... Snap out of it" Bobby slapped himself and Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Come on Spock, let's figure this thing out" Kitty pulled Bobby as they walked around the ship.

It was much bigger than it had seemed. At the approach of a wall a door slid open. Then another. It seemed endless, but still empty. No technology apart from motion sensor sliding doors seemed present either. Finally at one door they reached what seemed to be the cockpit. Kitty approached the view of whirling waters on the outside. There was no seat, no people, or aliens, just a view. She reached her hand to touch the window and figures appeared on the screen. Bobby looked around behind him making sure there was no possible way of being ambushed.

"Kitty, let's go. whoever came with this must have left already" He spoke to her still keeping a look out towards the door they came from

"Ahhh" Kitty screamed. Bobby turned and saw her falling through a hole that appeared in the ground.

"Kitty" the opening closed behind her and Bobby was too late. He ran to it and began to punch in attempted of reopening it, but to no avail. "Kitty, Are you ok? CAN YOU HEAR ME?" he yelled as his punches got stronger.

"Ouh" Kitty rubbed her butt and attempted standing up but hit her head against the ceiling and began rubbing her head instead "Ouh". She studied her surrounding and was now in a very small area, that she hardly fit in. Crawling on all four she approached what seemed like a chair. She heard a mumble. "Hello? Excuse me?" She spoke but nothing, another mumble of whatever it was, but she didn't refrain from approaching the seat. She turned it around and smiled.

"Kitty! KITTY" Bobby was still hitting the floor "Ok, maybe if I click a button..." He looked over, but saw nothing, no buttons, only a window. "Damn it" He punched it and heard something said as figures appeared once again on the window. He didn't understand, but everything began to light in red, and an alarm went off.

"Bobby. What did you do?" Kitty reappeared from the floor, having phased up quite a long way.

"Kitty your-" Bobby was cut off by what she held in her arms "What the hell's that!" Bobby pointed at the creature Kitty held and petted. A purple Dragon.

"It's the thing I saw, and well he seems to be the only thing here..." The Dragon growled and brought them back to the current predicament they were in now "No time to explain though, if anything red flashing light is nothing good" She grabbed Bobby and phased out to the surface of the spaceship. Bobby didn't hesitate and began creating a bridge for them to travel as far away as they could.

They weren't as fast as they hoped. The explosion created as big of an impact as the landing, and caused the ice bridge to shatter and for Bobby and Kitty to fall towards the water. The Dragon stayed in air, flying as the two splashed into the water.

"Bobby!" Kitty resurfaced out of the water and looked around

Bobby resurfaced shortly after "I'm ok" He coughed water "Just not used to taking quick breathes of air" he coughed again and she splashed him with water.

"Let's go home" she spoke as the small Dragon landed on her head and cooed.

Bobby swam to her and put an arm around her waist. He reformed another icebridge to head back to the institute.

* * *

"Where did you two GO?!" Logan began yelling as the two arrived on the ledge where they stood earlier. Logan began to pace as he yelled at the two youngest students He pointed shouted and yelled "You're not to go off disappearing on your own little adventure hunts without telling me. If you think I don't know that you two went out to where that explosion happened earlier, and again-" He was cut off as he pointed at Kitty to see her holding on to a little Dragon.

"What's that?" Logan asked simply

"Looks like a Dragon" Tildie answered as she stood next to Rogue. The two had been outside playing while the others are still in the danger room, unaware of this.

"I found him" Kitty smiled. Not really put down by all the yelling Logan had been doing.

"Yeah, he's an alien Dragon" Bobby attempted to poke it, but retreated his finger when the Dragon attempted to bite it off.

"Bad boy... don't bite Bobby, he's my friend" She petted him and he cooed "I know, he did make your ship go boom" She smiled and everyone looked at her in worry

"You understand him?" Bobby asked

"Of course, can't you tell?" everyone shook their heads.

"In any case, you two are grounded" Logan interrupted

"WHAT!" Bobby and Kitty protested in unison

"You can't ground me, I'm 18" Bobby protested, and Kitty gave him a look. Not everyone could use that excuse.

"Well, we had to act. We didn't have that much time to go find you, make a plan, and get there in time. Besides, we just saved a Dragon" Kitty defended herself.

"Either way, you don't go off on your own, Dragon or no Dragon" Wolverine spoke and angered Kitty and the Dragon who now breathed out a bit of fire in annoyance. "You keepin' it?" Logan now looked at Kitty who merely nodded. "Make sure it's no trouble to the rest of us then" He walked away and left the rest to talk amongst themselves

"There there, big bad wolverine doesn't want to hurt me... just to be bossy" Kitty stuck her tongue out as wolverine left.

"Guess I'll go order some games online to spend the next two weeks here" Bobby stretched and walked towards the institute.

"Does he have a name" Tildie petted the Dragon that didn't seem to mind her either. "You can't just call him Dragon all the time"

"She's got a point... how about purple elf" Rogue inputted, not wanting to input into the argument earlier

"That's stealing off Kurt's nickname... how about... Lockheed" She looked into the Dragons yellow eyes and smiled. "Lockheed"

"I like it" Tildie answered

"You have strange interests Kit" Rogue admitted

The Dragon began to fly and soar "See... Lockheed" Kitty pointed at her new friend and smiled devilishly at Rogue.

"Fine, just make sure he's house trained before he Spitfire's the mansion down" Rogue joked. Kitty merely giggled and allowed the Dragon to sit on her head once more.

-To Be Continued-


	2. To Russia

"Good Morning Lockheed" Kitty greeted her new Dragon friend as he licked her face.

"Kitty!!!" Bobby stormed into her room

"BOBBY!" She held the covers to her, in case she had phased through her clothes in her sleep and looked sternly at the boy standing at her door.

"Your Dragon friend set my cap on fire!" He threw the cap so that it landed in Kitty's lap. She turned to Lockheed who merely cooed innocently.

"Bobby, he was just playing around... I'll go with you to buy a new hat next weekend" She calmed him down now having gotten out of bed, knowing she is fully clothed in PJs. "Now if you will so kindly leave, I need to take a shower, have breakfast, and be ready for training in an hour" She practically shoved him out the room.

"But he is planning on ruining something else" Bobby tried to protest

"Then lock your room" She shut the door in his face, and locked her own room.

"You know, one day It's going to pay!" Bobby called from behind the door and left defeated, having been outranked in Kitty's heart by a Dragon they've known for a week.

"Come on Lock, Washy time!" She said as she phased out of her night wear and into the shower with Lockheed at her feet.

* * *

"I don't get her" Bobby complained as he and Beast were now shooting each other up in the new video game Bobby ordered. "She doesn't seem to pick up on anything"

"Have you tried being direct?" Hank said and explosion went off on the screen.

"Of course not, why go on the line when I don't get the hint of interest"

"Because if you don't you lose, and you'll just be defending your last life like you are now" Beast spoke half game related half Bobby related.

"But see, this is where you miss I have a grenade" Another explosion went on screen

"Then don't bother. I'm too close at range" Beast then spoke as they moved around in real life along with their game characters.

"You two are too funny" Kitty joked at her entering the room to the sight of Bobby pulling his controller away and Beast jumping up and down and practically dodging shots.

"Kitty!?" Bobby turned surprised only to hear the death melody in the background.

"Never turn your back on an enemy with an MK-19 fully loaded Drake" Beast mocked his loser rival as he left the two alone to continue his research.

"How about a quick round before Logan's run" Kitty proposed as they needed a good warm up before she had to face Logan one on one.

"Sure" Bobby agreed already in his uniform, as is his teammate

"Great, Lockheed will be going in with us" She jerked a thumb at the Dragon that now stood on her shoulder.

"Lucky me" Bobby complained.

* * *

Laser guns appeared from every wall, aimed at the three going through the course. Kitty phased through a few shots she failed to outrun, but was mostly in the lead, followed by Lockheed who flew expertly dodging all possible shots at him. Bobby however ducked and rolled and shot ice at the lasers he passed by, leaving him only a little behind.

"You should try actually destroying some of these" Bobby advised enjoying his impersonation of gaming characters

"Why make Forge's life harder than it already is... besides you don't see me shooting ice out of my hands" Kitty turned and spoke to Bobby, keeping her form intangible even as she stood across the finishing line.

"Touché Shadowcat, but danger room training, ain't as fun if you don't wreck something" He smiled over at Kitty who he now stood in front of at the finish line. The simulation ended and Logan entered.

"Since when did the Dragon join your danger room sessions?" Logan pointed at Lockheed who flew around and grumbled over at Bobby every chance he got.

"Since today, he was bored, and needs his exercise... don't you Lock" She rubbed him behind his ears and he cooed.

"Iceman, your session today will be with Cyclops, Me and Shadowcat have self defence for the next hour, so no point in the Dragon being around... unless he can sit quietly and watch" Logan spoke. Bobby went into his normal form and left the danger room. Lockheed seemed to understand Logan as he sat on the ground and crossed his arms to rest his head on.

"I guess he'll stay Wolverine..." Kitty looked down at the Dragon in awe, only to look back up at Wolverine who was coming straight at her, claws sheathed. She blocked his attack and took a step back. She got into her correct stance, and readied herself for his next move.

"Stay focused" Wolverine ordered as she blocked, and dodged many of his attacks. A few low blows she jumped over and a few others she was able to counter attack him with.

"Logan... you think we'll ever be the same?" She asked

"Not sure what you mean by that" Wolverine replied as he kept his attacks indirect and as hard for her to read as possible.

"Don't get me wrong, knowing all this Ninja stuff is fun, especially every so often when I get you off guard" with that she was able to use his weight against him by flipping him so he laid on his back. He quickly got up but Kitty hadn't given him much time before her next move. He quickly stopped her leg from hitting his face and spun her to fall on her back.

"Don't get cocky" He spoke as he gave her the chance to regain her stance once again "Just because I trained you in the art back then, doesn't mean there's no room for improvement"

"What I mean is, why now, why doesn't the professor talk to a past before our time even?"

"And keep all this from happening in the first place?" He continued her trail of thought

"Pretty much..." He came at her once again, and sent a few direct blows for her to dodge before he quickened his pace

"I've thought of that too, but I think it has something to do with him being unconscious now, his body probably accepts future Chuck's thoughts, but before he was in constant defence mode, like you are now..."

"So basically how the professor taught me how to shield my mind from being read, and you too... all that defence of switched on past professor is keeping him from receiving thoughts from future professor, but current professor's mind is unsecure standby mode so he's able to get a connection." Kitty turned to her computer logic and Logan smiled.

"I wouldn't put it like that, but sure" Logan jumped back from their last attack. "Warm up done... Get ready for the real stuff" Logan revealed his claws and attacked full force at Kitty.

"Bring it" She smiled and began using her phasing ability whenever Wolverine was too close, yet kept herself from using it as much as possible.

"Begin run #28" in addition to their mere fighting, every few steps taken a wall of metal bars appeared to block their way, or block themselves from each other. A few single bars would appear from the side walls to create a form of maze, yet between Shadowcat's phasing, and Wolverine's demolition, it hardly affects the main objective of defence.

* * *

"Come on! Do it for me" Bobby pleaded

"No, I won't read her mind just to tell you if she's interested. It's immoral" Jean replied, and rejected his pleading

"Hey, you know when Scott's crushing for you-"

"And you never have to get up to the freezer for ice cubes"

"It's not the same" he rejected her defence

"It is. It's using your powers to give you an advantage. If you want to know her feelings just ask her" She finally ended their conversation before she went into the kitchen to meet her boyfriend for an afternoon meal that he prepared for her.

"Bobby bugging you about Kitty again?" Scott asked

"He's not really bugging me about asking, just how blind he can be to the big picture" She answered as she took in the smell of toast and eggs.

"Well, he's bugging me"

"Scott, their teenagers, don't you remember what it was like at their age?" she asked jokingly knowing they've past that stage not so long ago themselves.

"Right" Scott responded quickly not wanting to rememeber. "Well then, late breakfast is served" Scott placed a plate of eggs and toast along with arranging a choice of different jams and a tea pot all warm, and a glass of pulp free orange juice.

"You're too cute" She smiled up at him and he leaned in to give her a kiss.

* * *

Wolverine had been quickening his pace, as well as his force as he almost sliced off Kitty's head a few times. She phased through the attempts and as his back was turned took her chance. She approached but he got her with a kick to the stomach that sent her flying to the wall.

"Kitty?" He went to help her up. He retracted his claw and offered his hand. She held it for him to help her up.

"Yeah" she coughed a few times in response "I'm alive". Lockheed was by her side now and licked her face as he stayed flying in air. "I'm ok Heed" she answered her new friend as he growled in concern.

"I still don't get how you understand him" Logan spoke

"It's an instinctive feeling you get" She explained to him as she attempted to stretch out the pain.

"That's it for today" He walked along side her out and to the changing rooms.

"Rough workout?" Iceman asked as he and Scott were prepared for their session.

"I'll say, you try going against wolverine in a claw battle, with no claws of your own" She joked and Iceman grinned

"Hey, if I can go ghosty whenever I wanted, I'd hardly give anyone the chance to lay a finger on me" Iceman explained before he entered the danger room with Cyclops.

"So how was your brunch breakfast, whatever it was" Iceman asked as the two stretched.

"Ok" Cyclops answered

"Have you two been up to much since she came back?" Iceman began to pry but got no reply. "I mean it has been a while and I remember back then when I had the room next to yours" Iceman wasn't able to finish as Scott expertly missed Iceman by an inch with an optic blast to set his mind straight. "Alright sorry" He put up his hands in front of him in defeat and laughed cautiously.

"Run Simulation 34#" Cyclops ordered, and without another word the two were at it.

* * *

"What happen'?" Rogue asked as Kitty walked through the living room rubbing her back and shoulders.

"Logan training session" She simply answered and proceeded back to her room for a shower.

"Need ice?" Rogue asked, following her friend

"No" She answered simply

"What's wrong?" Rogue asked concerned from Kitty's attitude

"It's my powers... their going on and off in a weird way" Kitty tried to explain before she entered her room. They stood in front of her door for a moment before she continued "It's like one second I'm trying to make sure all his hits were phasing through, then the other second it's like I'm forcing myself to un-phase to land a hit... and I'm confused on how it's working"

"Maybe you should ask Hank to check it out" Rogue suggested

"Maybe or maybe I'm just exhausted... I need a shower Rogue, talk to you later... come on Lock" Kitty entered her room and sat on her bed.

"What's wrong with Kitty?" Tildie approached Rogue who remained standing in front of Kitty's door.

"She's just going through being a teenager" Rogue explained to the 12 year old. Tildie remained silent in response and Rogue shrugged. "She's going through mutant withdrawal..." She attempted finding the right words as she walked the little girl towards elsewhere.

* * *

"Ahh, this feels nice" Kitty skipped the idea of a quick shower, and filled her tub for a relaxing bath. "You hungry Lock?" She heard her friend growl. "Well, I think Jean's in the kitchen, if you want anything I'm sure she'll be happy to make you something" and with that the Dragon flew out of Kitty's bathroom door, to her open window and outside to re-enter through the kitchen window.

"Lockheed, what are you doing here boy?" Jean pet the purple Dragon as it sat on the kitchen counter. She attempted to read his mind, but nothing. "I still don't get how Kitty understands you, but I can't even read your mind" She looked at him suspiciously and took out a bowl. "Well, kitchen always means food, guess you're hungry... here" She placed raw meat in a glass bowl. He breathed fire onto it and began to eat after cooking it.

"You're a handy one, well I have to go, make sure to place your plate in the sink for Kitty to clean later" Jean left the Dragon in the kitchen and shortly after the Dragon had finished his meal, and managed placing the bowl in the sink Beast entered.

"Hey Boy, you hungry?" He asked but was looked on critically by Lockheed who merely flew away at the attempt of one of the males feeding him.

"Lockheed" Ororo greeted the flying Dragon who merely soared alongside her during her current afternoon flying hours. "Is Kitty alright?" He cooed and she smiled. She didn't understand him, yet she knew if he had to get her attention he would probably spit-fire and roar and growl constantly but all he did was fly, and she herself was in no mood but to do so herself.

* * *

"Lockheed!" Kitty called from the ground as the Dragon flew in circles. Having left Ororo to be on her own for a while, he continued flying, but now slowed to a stop as he neared Kitty. "There you are. Did you enjoy your meal?" He cooed and she smiled as she and her friend walked back into the mansion. "I'm going on a trip; you want to come with me?" He landed on her shoulder and cooed. In response she pet him as they walked within the mansion to the hangar

"You ready Kitten?" Logan asked as he waited in front of the X-Jet in normal clothes.

"Yes sir, Logan" She saluted and he smirked at her lousy attempts "To Russia" She spoke excitedly as she boarded the newly rebuilt and fully modified X-Jet.

-To Be Continued-


	3. and Back

"Hey Chuck, you there?" Logan entered the room where the professor remained unconscious.

"Logan, I have some bad news" Charles Xavier of the future responded to Logan's call and sent them to the astral plane. "It seems that our dear friend Nathaniel Essex has a lot to do with this future"

"The sarcasm doesn't suit you Chuck" Logan commented on the professor calling Sinister himself a friend

"Until I find out more I need you to gather as many X-Men as you can" the professor requested

"Why not just go after Sinister?" Logan protested to the professor's demand

"I don't believe he would remain in the same place Cyclops last hit. In addition he has yet begun his first move, you have time my friend"

"How much time?"

"I'm not quite certain yet, however his next move was to collect as many mutant followers, and I fear one of his main focuses are some of our old comrades"

* * *

"So sinister will try to convince peter to join him?" Kitty asked as she co-piloted the X-Jet with Logan towards Russia.

"That's right, and we have to get there before he does" Logan spoke grimly at the thought of having to fight his friends if the time came.

"But the professor said we had time" Kitty pointed out as they seemed to rush with every action without much thought

"Time is nothing to waste in our predicament..." He took in an irritated breath "We got time to act then we'll use it before we regret it later"

"Alright, well, here we are" Kitty pointed out at the old farm area covered in snow in this time of year. Thankfully they had brought coats

* * *

"Big Brother, there's a giant Black Plane Landing outside" A little blonde girl spoke in fluent Russian, ran into her house approaching a familiar man.

"I'll take a look little snowflake" He stood up and took on his metallic form as he stepped outside. The strong wind of the X-Jet landing hardly affected him as he approached the two exiting the plane.

"Peter!" Kitty ran towards her long time friend and first-crush. He returned to his normal form for the impact of her jump into his arms to embrace him as tightly as she could.

"Long time Petey" Logan waved to the much taller and muscular man as he finished hugging Kitty back.

"Da. Come in, please" He began to walk inside with Kitty to his left and Logan flanking his right.

"Lockheed" Kitty turned her head to see her Dragon friend fly to her. "Peter, meet Lockheed"

"Ah a new comrade to your team" Peter petted the Dragon not as surprised to having a creature join them. Of course he's seen his fair share of strange happenings, and Mutants are yet anything people generally consider Normal.

"Wow, he likes you, he usually hates guys..." The two men looked strangely at Kitty. "Well he usually does" She insisted.

Inside, Peter Rasputin's family were having lunch. A few Russian words were exchanged between them and he excused himself along with his friends to sit in the next room.

"Would you like something warm tovarish?" Peter offered before he took his seat

"Listen Petey, there's a reason why we came" Logan began, cutting through all the hospitality "Turns out something big is happening, and this time you've got a part in the scenario"

"I realize the X-men need me if you had to come all the way here. You could have called, yet by coming in person the matter must be of great importance, but...I cannot leave my family again... I'm sorry" Peter ended his argument without much room for Logan to respond, yet Kitty did not refrain from doing so.

"Peter, this is bigger than us, the future depends on it, there's so much to explain, but now we need to know you're on our side for sure"

"Katya, they need me here" Peter spoke as Kurt has once, and it hit Kitty harder than anything else that could be said.

"We need you too; the whole freakin' world needs you. First Kurt, now you, then what, everyone needs everyone else, but if you don't come back with us the whole world is practically FUCKED" Kitty stormed out and Logan exchanged a look with Peter.

Kitty was now walking outside, luckily having grabbed her coat on the way as she noticed the snow begin to fall again. She walked around the X-Jet, hugged herself to stay warm as Lockheed sat on her head, acting like a hat. "You cold?" she looked up at Lockheed who merely breathed out fire to emphasize his point. "Lucky you have an internal furnace, all I got is a raging heart"

"Are you Katherine?" a little blonde girl asked Kitty in weak English that hinted a lot of her Russian heritage.

"Yes" she answered, and awed at the sight before her

"Big Brother told me you were pretty, he was right" she smiled up at the brunette standing in front of her

"Oh, so you're Peter's little sister" Kitty recognised the girl from a photo Peter had shown her.

"Piotr spoke of me?" the little girl spoke shyly

"Only that you're the cutest little thing alive... and he was right" Kitty hugged the little girl, as she couldn't help but do so. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fare skin with red tinted cheeks, she really did look like a little snowflake.

"Illyana, could you excuse us?" Peter spoke slightly sternly, but he was serious. The girl didn't wait as she obeyed and returned back into the house.

"So I'm pretty" Kitty spoke and made Peter blush. He struggled with words to deny it but she cut him off before he began. "I'm sorry I stormed out, but this is serious"

"I know, Logan explained a lot. I had no idea you had found the professor, or any of this." Peter defended his earlier irrational decision.

"So will you come back?" now more hopeful towards his response

"Da" He smiled weakly and with his agreement Kitty jumped at him once more to embrace him as tightly as she could. "I missed you Katya"

"I missed you more Peter..."

His mind went back to the day they had their last training session sometime over a year ago.

* * *

"Kitty, if you Phase the exact moment I port we should be able to escape" Kurt propositioned

"Or we could probably wait till someone comes by and not put all our lives on the line" Kitty explained

"You are over thinking this tovarish, our little comrade would not put us in harm's way. The Danger room could just be in a hologram mode" Piotr insisted

The other two looked at him and laughed. "You don't know how serious Logan can get about these sessions" Kitty explained when all of the sudden the room began to rumble. The session stopped automatically to a response of an external attack, and in mere seconds everything seemed to explode in front of the three. Nightcrawler ported to where the two were falling, and held on to them to port safely on the ground. Colossus made it so he was shielding the two others, as Kitty attempted to keep them all intangible during the impact.

* * *

"We barely made it huh?" Kitty pulled him out of thoughts that she had herself

"Yes, it was a good thing that after the first shock Kurt was able to teleport us away... but to think it was Jean" He spoke in astonishment

"She was protecting us from another attack"

"Yes, Logan told me... but to have destroyed the Danger room... our most impenetrable room, the power must have been great" He practically whistled at the thought

"And now, what Sinister is planning, might even be greater"

"Then I am to return home" Peter looked down at the small brunette in his arms and smiled. He bent down and kissed her on her head before he left to pack his things.

He passed Logan who approached Kitty by the X-Jet. "Some French you got there Kitten"

"Sorry, I went a bit overboard"

"At least you got to him; I knew bringing you was my best chance" he pulled out a cigar and held it in front of the Lockheed. The Dragon understood and lit it on fire for him to smoke.

"Yeah yeah, trying to act out cupid's role" Kitty said sarcastically knowing how much Logan knew of her feeling for Peter.

"Nope, but if it helps, then you're welcome" Kitty hugged Logan.

* * *

Back at the mansion, Beast and Iceman were at it again as they played the game like no tomorrow. This time they even had an audience of Scott and Jean who merely enjoyed how enthusiastic they got. Storm was watering the plants in the room, and Tildie read on one of the arm chairs.

"I got you now" Beast threatened, but as quickly as he could Iceman froze beast's hand to the controller, and formulated a new plan of attack. "You think that'll stop me" He broke the ice that covered his hands and a nuclear explosion went off on screen. The death melody played on Bobby's account.

"How do you keep doing that?!" Bobby hardly asked, but was still answered

"Physics. Chemistry. Weaponry is but a combination of both" Beast exclaimed before he got up to get back to more challenging work in his lab

"Did Kitty and Logan come back from their trip yet" Rogue entered the living room and asked aloud.

"They Left?" Bobby asked, oblivious to what happened today since his training session with Scott. Jean Ororo and Rogue glared at him sternly. This was the boy who kept trying to get Kitty to notice him for the last few weeks and yet he fails to notice when she's missing.

"No, they should be back soon though, Logan said they wouldn't be spending any more time there than needed" Jean answered

"Where did they go?" Bobby asked and again received glares from the women in the room.

"Russia" Jean and Rogue answered in unison

"RUSSIA!!!" Jean laughed at the first thought that came to the frantic Bobby.

"They've never done anything before, why worry now?" Jean asked muffling in her laughter

"Cause she's almost legal, that's why!" Bobby practically yelled as he jumped up and began heading out of the room.

"Where ya goin'?" Rogue asked, now joining Jean in laughter at what the boy is thinking.

"I'm off to lift weights, and get big..." He exited the room and the women broke out in laughter once again. Scott refrained from doing so, but a playful grin came across his face at how this was payback for his prying earlier.

* * *

"It's been a while, yet it looks exactly the same as it always has" Peter studied the Mansion from the air view they had before landing.

"Yeah, but this time I don't think the wings are separating boys and girls, we are just on different floors depending" Kitty blushed at the thought that came to mind but looked away from the men to notice.

"Rooms don't look that different either, but the furniture is brand new, and we're not crowded since we didn't take on any students" Logan explained

"It's good to see it again"

"A sight for sour eyes pal?" Logan joked at Peter's comment and landed the X-jet in the opening the basketball court slid out of the way for.

"Come on peter, I'll show you your room" Kitty began to pull him along as they made their way to the door. She kept looking at Peter with his big smile, and led him as she walked backwards into someone else.

"Opps. Sorry. Should look where I'm going" Kitty turned around and apologized automatically.

"No worries, you can't knock me down that easily Kat" Bobby replied in a macho voice, walking around with a couple of weights in his hands.

"Kat?" She looked at him questioningly then shook it away "Bobby, Peter's back, isn't that wonderful, I'll be taking him to his room" she announced as she continue dragging him along by his hand.

"Nice seeing you Bobby" Peter wave as he allowed himself to be pulled by Kitty.

"Working out Bobby?" Logan commented as he pointed at the dumbbells he held in each hand.

"Who cares!" Bobby, angered, stormed ahead back to the gym area.

"Teenagers" Logan sighed, and heard Lockheed snicker next to him.

* * *

"Welcome to your new room" Kitty opened the door to reveal a typical mansion bedroom "and you know what the best part is..." Peter shook his head "I'm right upstairs... so if you ever need me I'll phase down in a second" She smiled

"That's convenient, having one of my dearest friend's living right upstairs" he smiled to her and encouraged her enthusiasm of having him back

"Yeah, friends..." She seemed disappointed by his choice of words but shrugged it off "Speaking of which, Kurt isn't around, but we can attempt communicating with Genosha sometime tomorrow"

"Ah, Magneto's previous empire... now controlled by his daughter" Peter recited the information they updated him with on the way.

"And Kurt's current girlfriend I believe" she grinned at the thought "that silver tongued devil" She joked

"Da" Peter laughed along with her.

"Good to have you back Peter" Scott said as he and Jean entered Peter's room,

"Good to see you together once again" commented on how Scott had his arm around Jean. This wasn't a topic he was told of, or commented about while discussing the changes with Logan. Peter knew better. Jean broke Scott's hold to hug Peter, and Scott offered his hand to shake.

"It's great to see you again" Jean said as she let go of the big guy

"Little brother, your back" Ororo walked into the room and hugged Peter as tightly as she could.

"It's good to see you" He hugged back happy to be seeing all his dear friends surround him once again

"We'll let you settle in for now, dinner will be ready shortly" Jean announced as she left with Scott in hand.

"Well then Kitten, we should give Peter the chance to unpack" Ororo smiled and ushered Kitty out with her.

"Yeah, see you at dinner" She waved bye, as Ororo had to practically force her out.

He started to unpack whatever he was able to fit into his suitcase of clothes and put them in drawers. He told himself he'd need to purchase more but left the thought at that as he pulled out his sketchpad and pencil. He sat on the bed and flipped through older pictures he was able to collect before he left the first time. Most damaged, burnt, or ripped, but he still preferred having some pictures rather than none. One was of his old room; he looked around and compared his new surroundings to the photo.

"Somethings never change" he thought to himself as he began to sketch some thoughts before he went to dinner.

-To Be Continued-


	4. In Control?

Bobby rolled in his bed a few times and covered his nose soon after. He woke up to the smell that has become pretty familiar in the past few days than he had hoped for.

"No No NO!" He looked down at Lockheed setting fire to his shoes. Quickly he iced them and turned to the Dragon angered, growling in response at the Dragon who snickered and flew out the window. "Damn it! I knew I locked the door, stupid window" He put on the first pair of pants he could find on the ground and a shirt before he ran to Kitty's room with his daily complaint.

"Kitty!" He reached her room and opened the door. "Kitty, your Dragon has gone too far" He stopped explaining as he realized she wasn't in her room. He started walking back to his room and saw Jean on the way.

She turned her head to see him storm off only to hold back a laugh, before she decided on warning him. "Bobby, I don't think you should be wearing those pants" Jean pointed out "Nice heart boxers though. Didn't know they still existed" Bobby glanced at his backside and realized a hole has been burnt through his favourite pair of sweat pants.

"That Dragon will PAY!" Bobby yelled out and Jean laughed. She heard the door slam behind Bobby and continued on with her business of the day.

"Scott?" Jean knocked a few times on his door "You wanted to talk" but without much warning he opened the door and pulled her in, taking her lips in a tender kiss. "Good morning to you too" she joked

"Morning" he leaned down for another kiss and in response Jean's hands found their way to his hair, tangling her fingers between his brown locks. He let her go for a moment as he began to explain "I figured I could surprise you, since you can't read my mind through text messages" He allowed her to study the romantic candle light he set up for them in his bedroom that complimented the atmosphere he created.

"Scott" she began, picking her words carefully "It's too early, I just showered... Just save it for later tonight." She leaned into him and read his disappointed thoughts. "I promise, tonight we'll definitely have some fun" She kissed him on the lips and backed away. "For all it's worth, I've never been more surprised" She smiled to her love and left.

* * *

"Hurry up, you'll like this" Kitty beckoned her friend to follow with his sketchpad and pencil at hand. "Come on, come on" She spoke ecstatically as she practically began to jump and run like a child. "Look" she came to a stop and pointed to a flower that grew out of the grass at the ledge of the cliff outside the mansion. "I found it yesterday when I was taking my morning walk, and figured it looks so much more prettier with some morning dew left on it" she smiled up at Peter.

"Da, it's very pretty. So this is why you woke me up so early" He sat down and studied the flower from different angles until he chose one that could allow true portrayal of the flower's beauty in a sketch. He took his seat and opened his sketchbook onto an empty page.

"Yeah, and I thought since you liked to sketch nature, but we're practically confined to this place, something different would be nice... I don't think I've seen this flower around before... I'll have to Google it later" She admitted as she sat next to him on the grass. Not having to have to explain herself, but thought best to get a word in before he went into his silent drawing phase.

"It's very nice, thank you Katya" He smiled at the enthusiastic girl and began his drawing

They took in the peace of the air, while having the calm breeze caress their skin and the morning sunrays rolling over them as the sun fully rose. Kitty rested her head on Peter's shoulder as she observed him work in silence.

"Kitty!" Bobby ran towards the two holding onto a pair of melting shoes. "Your pet melted the rubber on my shoes, and burnt a hole in my favourite sweatpants"

"Well, today is technically our last day of being grounded, we can go shop tomorrow, and I'll buy you all new favourites ok?" She didn't bother with defending the Dragon, yet she does find it funny when he does this to Bobby.

"Don't worry Bobby, Lockheed is but having his fun" Peter spoke smiling at the sight of Bobby as he didn't contain his amusement from the situation as well as Kitty had.

"Laugh it up. We'll see what happens when he starts burning all your shit" Bobby walked away. Kitty refrained from explaining that Lockheed took well to Peter.

"There you are" Peter ripped the page from his sketchbook and handed it to Kitty

"Peter... you don't have to" He had already finished the sketch in a mere half hour or so, but it had felt like an eternity as she sat by him, enjoying his focused gaze on his work, and his smell. She snapped back to the conversation at hand.

"I want to Katya, I drew it for you" He admitted and a blush came across his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug, and pulled away. With her arms still resting on his shoulder she took her chance and leaned towards his face. She innocently kissed his cheek and smiled to the man. He smiled back at the now blushing girl.

"Guy's, Danger room session in ten" Jean announced to all mentally.

Peter stood up and helped Kitty along with him. "You should take a photo of the flower" He recommended as they began to walk back to the mansion.

"I have, but I didn't get one as good as your sketch on my digital" She admitted and blushed once again. He held her hand as they walked, but quickened their pace ever so slightly knowing they had to suit up.

* * *

"Today, we start our excessive training. Charles hasn't gotten any new news for us, but all we know is we'll be facing hard battles, so we all need to use this time to build up our strength" Wolverine finished his speech as everyone stood prepared for his next command. "First we need to know our weaknesses to negate our opponent's strength."

"Spoken like a true ninja" Kitty and Jean giggled to themselves.

"Each of us will face obstacles that should test our strength's limits. Seeing as we can't all go at the same time, Iceman, Cyclops, Storm, and Colossus will go first." He pointed at the first four "We'll watch you to notice anything we feel you can improve on... any questions?"

"Where's Rogue?" Kitty asked and everyone looked around.

"She's taken Tildie into town for the day before I decided on this, so she'll have to make up for it tomorrow, or whenever she gets back" Wolverine explained then looked around. "Any questions to do with these sessions?" Wolverine asked again.

"Yeah, shouldn't we try to save our energy to fight, and not tire ourselves out in constant battle simulations" Bobby interjected. The idea of pushing himself or for anyone to push themselves to a point near death seems irrational when they need to stay in good shape, and not risk damaging anything.

"What does not kill you Drake, makes you stronger" Beast quoted understanding where the boy is coming from, yet believes in Wolverines command.

"I'm not making you do this... but if you don't your off the main team" Wolverine said simply

"That's pretty much the same thing Logan" Cyclops backed up the line Logan was about to cross

"Listen, I'm not saying I won't, so relax you two before we get a demo. I'm just asking, how far am I to take this training, cause if I'm going at it like I'm in a life or death situation... the room's going to get pretty cold" Bobby grinned and Wolverine left it at that.

* * *

"Let's start shall we" Beast spoke now from inside the control room

Each one of the four had to walk down a straight path to the finish line. On each path weapons are aimed and built in that should test their abilities. As they began lasers came out of the walls and shot at all of them. Flame throwers then appeared and aimed at Iceman that melted his ice bridge, and forced him into dodging and aiming ice blasts at sources he was not able to predict. Walls appeared on either side of Colossus and attempted to block his way, as well as crush him, but with his strength he easily passed the stage onto the next which consisted of having to walk in his metallic form, to refrain from being injured by the lasers; on magnetised ground that pulled him down to his knees at first impact. Wind blew opposing Storms flight movement and several static absorbers surrounded her lane that refrained her lightening from having any affect, forcing her into using her physical strength and agility. Cyclops' lane turned to a treadmill, and was soon surrounded by dust that created a visual obstruction to detect where the lasers shot at him. This practically blinded him as he ran faster to avoid being hit by laser shots that he couldn't predict.

When it came to the other groups turn, Jean, Shadowcat, Beast, and Wolverine took their lanes. For Wolverine he had the works. Lasers, saws, tentacles, walls, and everything else they were able to attack him with, not to mention the holes and spikes in the ground. Beast's lane was covered in spikes. Two walls on both sides appeared which shot metal bars from one to the next. He had to reach his destination using the bars while dodging the simulators attacks. Kitty's lane simply disappeared, creating a hole. Several small platforms appeared. She had to get to the other side, while jumping from one platform to the next, without phasing through the platform, yet not get hit by any lasers. Jean's lane had falling spikes from the ceiling, in addition to lasers, and hardly any ground to walk on forcing her to float, while blocking and dodge the spikes that same at her from the ceiling.

* * *

"Kill me now" Bobby collapsed on the couch. Kitty followed next to him. Beast merely laughed at the two as he made his way to his lab

"I'm just happy I'm alive" Kitty smiled at the thought

"I can't believe we couldn't finish ours" Bobby spoke.

"Yeah! To think we've been X-men for so long, but couldn't get through that whole thing" Kitty complained

"At least I almost got there" He said proudly.

"Yeah, well, I would have if those stupid tiny platforms didn't go ahead and shock me, forcing me to phase through" She explained her failure before leaving.

"Where are you going?" Bobby asked, unable to move himself

"I need to go talk to Peter before he goes to sleep" She waved bye and left the Ice-teen to rest on his own.

* * *

"Peter" Kitty knocked on his door.

"Katya?" Peter opened the door to his room "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I just wanted to see if you were as exhausted" She giggled

"Da... a full day of training... Sleep would do us good" He suggested to her, as he was about to do himself

"Right, sleep, duh... so see you tomorrow?" she said excitedly.

"Of course" He smiled as he awaited her response

"Goodnight then Piotr" she attempted saying out his name in Russian

"Good night Katya" and with that she began to walk away. He waited for her to leave before closing his door, to refrain from being rude, but also to make sure she didn't need anything else.

"Come on Heed, let's go sleep" Kitty called to the Dragon who had been following her at her feet. "And you better not cost me anymore of Bobby's clothes... I already owe him a fair share of new stuff" She continued towards her room and took her shower, changed, and got ready for bed. She tied her hair up out of the way and sat on her bed with her laptop to check for mail, updates, or anything of interest to buy. Afterwards the earlier workout hit her and she closed her laptop to place to the side and drifted to sleep.

* * *

Kitty woke up later that night to a feeling that she was sinking. Her body began to phase through the bed, and she awoke in fright trying to grab on to something. Lockheed attempted to help yet he phased through her. She began to scream and cry for help as the drowning feeling overwhelmed her. She quickly took a breath before she completely phased through her room into Peter's.

"KATYA!" Peter woke to Kitty falling on top of him.

She couldn't contain herself as the tears began to pour; she quickly hugged him and dug her face into his chest as she was on top of him. "I was, ghost, and then, I tried, to stop, but I was phasing, and I went through my bed, and couldn't stop, and I, lost control." She panicked and struggled with her breathing as she took in gasps of air while her body shivered in fight. Peter held her close and tried to calm her down, his hand instinctively rubbing her back, relaxing her with soft words of comfort.

"Kitty?" Jean knocked on Peter's door.

"She's in here" Peter answered and Jean quickly opened the door and hurried to Kitty's side, placing a hand on her shoulder as others began to enter the room, having followed the telepath to where Kitty was.

"Kitten" Storm and Logan called in unison. Lockheed flew in and stood at the foot of Peter's bed worried.

"Kitty, what's happened?" Jean asked calmly as she attempted making sense of Kitty's chaotic thoughts of fear.

"Jean... it was, I couldn't stop myself..." Kitty let go of Peter to hug her other friend who was calming her mentally. As she turned to wrap her arms around Jean she phased through and fell to the floor. He heart raced again in fright, she didn't understand, she couldn't understand, she didn't want to phase.

"Whoa..."Bobby commented and everyone looked at him sternly.

"Kitty, I need you to calm down, and focus..." Jean instructed "Do you think you can manage to get down to the infirmary" Kitty nodded weakly and stood up slowly. She cleared her mind all she could and thought how she had to oppose the molecules surrounding her to stay solid.

"I'll get it ready for you then" Hank went ahead while others stood concerned.

"I'll stay with her, the rest of you should probably go back to sleep" Jean instructed.

"Will she be al'right?" Rogue asked.

"You should probably take Tildie back to bed" Jean instructed Rogue, who nodded and left. Jean turned to Scott as she walked with Kitty's pace and frowned towards his thoughts. "We've had a round Scott... so could you stop thinking up complaints..." He looked at her apologetically. She ignored his responses as she helped Kitty to the infirmary.

Peter got out of bed in pyjama pants and put on a shirt to cover his bare upper torso. He followed them out of his room and made his way behind the two females and the Dragon in silence, as the rest, including Bobby, were directed back to their rooms by Logan, who knew better than to crowd Kitty at this time.

* * *

"Kitty could you remain tangible for me to take a blood sample" Hank asked as he took out a needle.

"Well, I'm still sitting, so I guess I am tangible" Kitty replied having been calmed by all the words Jean repeated in her mind. She took her time, but at a certain point her pace regulated to that she felt completely in control once again. However, at her first attempt to take a seat on the medical bed she phased to the floor. She took her time and was able to remain solid during her second attempt but did feel awkward about having failed the first time.

"Jean if you could" Hank asked and she responded by taking a rubber band and wrapped it around Kitty's upper arm. She then used an antiseptic wipe to clean the skin that would get punctured.

"This will hurt for a second" He warned his patient, although she was fully aware of what to expect. It pinched for less than a millisecond before he withdrew blood. She looked to Peter who smiled for her and she smiled back, but her trail of thought did not drift before Dr. McCoy brought them back. "Right then, let's see what we have here" Hank dripped some of the blood onto a slit of glass and placed it under a microscope. He spoke to himself in agreement and disagreement and then turned towards a few chemicals. He placed some of the liquid into a test tube, and dripped some of Kitty's blood into it. "Interesting"

"What?" Kitty finally asked after hearing all of his comments throughout his quick study.

"You seem to be completely normal" He spoke and all looked at him strangely "As normal as a mutant is"

"But I'm not" Kitty looked at her hand "I haven't been like this since I first new about my powers, since then I've been in complete control"

"You have not changed..." He admitted as he looked through previous notes he had on his patient "However, your powers might have advanced, but with such limited equipment I cannot really tell of the ratio between your non-mutated and mutated genes"

"So I'm not mostly solid anymore?" She asked

"No, you are... but it's too late to contact anyone to study this further... yet I do recommend you get some sleep... it's late and tomorrow we all have to pull our weight in the danger room" Hank attempted to joke, but got no laughs.

"Come on Kitty, you can sleep next to me..." Jean smiled down at the girl and changed her mind after reading the younger girl's thoughts "Or maybe it's better to stay in Peter's room"

"Da, you are welcome to stay in my room" Peter offered without thinking much of it. He knew it was best to keep his friend company at this time, even if it was in his bed.

"Are you sure?" Kitty asked, blushing at the thought, yet she knew better than to allow her mind to wander too far with a telepath standing next to her.

"I was actually spending the night in Scott's room, and I don't want to leave you alone" Jean continued, her own reason excused as they all refrained from commenting on how she and Scott functioned as a couple.

"I am very certain Katya" Peter reassured the young girl who smiled up at him wildly. Lockheed cooed as he took place on her shoulder. He began to fall asleep on her and growled a yawn.

"Can Lockheed stay in your room as well?" Kitty asked, and Peter merely nodded.

* * *

She got under the cover from one side, as Peter did from the other. She felt like she could talk for hours with him, but fell asleep almost instantly. She turned to face the wall as she hugged Lockheed to her. Peter looked at his ceiling for a few moments and glanced over to Kitty. He took in her scent and turned to face the wall on the other side, both having their backs to one another.

* * *

"Pete, have you seen-" Bobby was cut short at the sight of Kitty in Peter's arms first thing in the morning. She was almost completely on top of him, and he had both his big arms around her small body.

"Hmm?" Kitty slowly opened her eyes as she looked up at the very much asleep Russian man. She quickly got out of his hold and looked over to a very stunned Bobby guiltily

"What are you doing here?" He asked while looking at her in disbelief as she instinctively had sat up and wrapped the cover around her.

"Well, you see" She scratched her head innocently. "After last night, Jean suggested I don't spend the night alone, and that well, she was with Scott, so Peter offered... we didn't do anything" She quickly attempted to straighten out any and all assumptions.

He remained unconvinced as Peter began to wake up. "It's so not what you think Bobby" She said yet no response from the blonde male.

"Good morning Katya" Peter smiled up then realized the presence of the other teen. "Bobby"

"Peter, what the hell are you doing with Kitty, shouldn't you be with girls your own damn age!" Bobby yelled.

"You are mistaken comrade. I was keeping her company..." Peter tried to explain

"Save it! I get it, you didn't do anything" Bobby, aggravated, left the two and walked as far away as he could.

"Ummm... I guess I should go change and stuff..." Kitty got out of bed, again making sure she was fully clothes, convinced now more than ever her powers aren't in full check.

"Alright, I hope you are feeling better Katya" Peter admitted as he remained in bed.

"I do... Thank you Peter" She left with Lockheed to return to her room.

-To Be Continued-


	5. Day Trip, Cajuns?

"Cheer up Bobby. Kitty hasn't done anything" Jean comforted the teen as she took on the therapeutic role of an older sister, and go to gal whenever he needed to discuss Kitty issues.

"Whatever." He replied. He remained motionless, resting his head on the table, his arms dangling, and his hopes of ever being with Kitty broken. Jean did find the sight of it funny, but he just seemed too out of spirit to do anything.

"Bobby?" Kitty poked her head through a corner "There you are" She approached with a smile. "Here" She held out his jacket for him to take. "It's gonna be windy, so take this in case you get cold on the way to the mall." She encouraged.

"Mall?" He responded questioningly.

"Remember I told you, I'm going to buy you a new wardrobe... or at least replace the old clothes Lockheed burnt" She reminded him "Let's go"

"I don't want to" He turned his head to face away from her.

"Oh come on! Get off your sorry ass and let's go..." She repeated as she pulled on his arm but he hardly moved "We only have till around Lunch..." she tried to get him to budge "Logan gave us the late session today" She explained and continued her attempts but no response from the male. "I asked him myself... please Bobby" She pleaded.

"Why don't you go with Peter" He ridiculed

"Oh, Peter's coming..." Kitty clarified

"And since you don't want to go..." Jean interceded "It's going to be just Kitty and Peter all day at the mall, together" She gave her concept time to sink into Bobby's thoughts before she added "Alone"

"Let's go" He got up and took his jacket from Kitty.

* * *

"This is so much fun" Kitty said as she spun around holding onto a bag of purchases. She turned to Peter who held what seemed like fifty times the amount she was carrying and Bobby who had his own bags of new clothes, shoes, and hats.

"I thought this trip was about me?" Bobby said as he took a seat on one of the bench's in the mall.

"Well, Peter needed some clothes too... and it's not my fault you finished quickly. Besides I didn't start my shopping till we were officially done with your needs Bobby" Kitty joked. Bobby and Peter stood up alarmed. "Guys... I'm done. Really" She responded defensively as their stern gaze seemed to be aimed at her.

"Kitty" Bobby called on her seriously. "Turn around" he instructed

"I do believe we've met before" a man in a coat spoke from behind Kitty.

"What do you want Gambit" Bobby practically spat out as his hands turned Ice. He knew of him from Logan, but no recollection of ever having met.

"Remy does not wish to fight you, an' suggests you do not try to either" Gambit proclaimed

"Bobby, cool it..." Kitty walked to Bobby and held onto his wrists "Logan said to keep a low profile, you never know where the MRD could be" She kept a hold until he un-iced them.

"Ah, to say the least a few men have been following you all day Petite" Gambit said and he jerked a thumb over someone who seemed a tad bit familiar.

"Let's go" Bobby ordered and the other two mutants followed.

"I would not recommend that monsieur. They have been waiting to make sure you are who you are... an' your little act might have cost you that" Gambit explained and in mere seconds they were surrounded by soldiers.

"Freeze!"

Bobby responded by changing forms. With one hand he created an ice wall that surrounded the four mutants from the soldiers.

"Shall we disappear, Petite" Gambit advised Kitty as he put a hand on her shoulder.

She looked back at him and his devilish grin. "Come on" She reached to grab Peter and Bobby before she phased them all to the basement car park.

"This way" Bobby ran to the black convertible they drove for the day, and jumped into the driver seat. Peter and Kitty got in the back as Gambit took shotgun. In a second he started the engine, and drove out of his parking space.

"Um Bobby, you might want to slow down, you're heading straight for a wall" Kitty pointed out, but he only picked up more speed "I don't think I can phase us Bobby, seriously slow down" She said again as he didn't respond to her first warning.

"Kitty" Bobby called and turned his head to look at her "I trust you" He sent her a smile and with that she took in a deep breath.

"Ok" She rubbed her hands together and held on to the car.

"Katya, are you sure?" Peter asked in concern as he noticed her brow furrow in concentration.

"Here we go" Bobby pressed down on the pedal and drove them through the wall and onto the main street. The car screeched as he turned to speed through the streets, leaving a swerve of tire marks.

"Yeah BABY!!!" He cheered "I knew you could do it" He admitted to Kitty

"Phew..." She relaxed and smiled cynically at Bobby's reflection in the mirror. "Do that again Bobby and I'm phasing out of the car to leave you to crash"

"Hey you can phase helicopters" He said simply

"Those don't travel as fast as you were going..." She explained.

"So where should we drop off the thief" Bobby now gave Kitty control of their situation.

"Actually, Remy has to speak to your leader" Gambit answered

"How about no" Kitty said sternly

"If it wasn't for me Remy would not have noticed the MRD following you" He stated simple as.

"Maybe the MRD were following you" Kitty mentioned her accusation against the Cajun

"Yeah, and if you haven't come up to us I wouldn't have gone Ice hands" Bobby admitted

"Oui, but what if Remy were to tell you he want to join the X-men"

"What?!" The three X-Men practically yelled in unison as Bobby made an abrupt stop.

"Kitty?" Bobby broke the silence that built up as they remained motionless in the car.

She reached forward and took out the X-phone they had installed in the car, cleared of any trackers. She held it to her ear as it rang.

"Hey. Ummm Logan?" She waited for a response "We have a bit of a situation..."

* * *

"... and that's when we called you" Kitty and Bobby finished explaining the story, taking fair turns doing so.

"So what's this about being an X-Man Gambit" Logan snarled over at their guest.

"Remy feels it's time for a change" He simply said

"You're not one to trust" Logan practically spat it out.

"Work was work mon ami. You understand, no?" He began playing with his deck of cards, not at all intimidated by Logan's words and noises.

Logan got in Gambit's face as he sneered "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..." Logan refrained from continuing his sentence; he merely revealed his claws to him threateningly. "This better not be one of your jobs Bub" He looked at his eyes for a few more moments and retracted his claws. He left him alone with Bobby, Kitty and Peter.

"So was that a yes?" Bobby turned to Kitty. Kitty shrugged unknowingly.

* * *

"Charles?" Logan called on the professor as he entered his sleeping chamber.

"Logan..." He took a moment to read his mind.

"Should I trust Gambit?"

"It doesn't seem like he has a roll, however, from what I gather from this future, the more the merrier. Mr LeBeau could make a good asset to the team"

"Big question is. Is he's working with sinister?" Logan thought through the possibilities

"That depends on whether he was contacted by Sinister first, or not... I suggest you have Jean read his mind" the professor instructed

"She's already on it" Logan grinned on the thought

* * *

"Would you like anything to drink?" Jean offered as they had taken Gambit to their kitchen to join them for a meal.

"Oui" He replied and held out his glass for jean.

"What's wrong Cherie" Gambit glanced over Rogue who looked at him attentively.

"Nothing" she scrambled to look busy with her food.

"Why were you following us?" Bobby asked as they all kept tabs on their not so welcomed guest.

"Remy only merely noticed the soldier trailing you at start, and thought best to warn you" He cleared his good intentions from any wrong doing.

Logan entered the kitchen and looked over to Jean for an instant and back to Gambit.

"He's clear Logan... I didn't get anything bad from him, even his story about being at the mall checks out" Jean reported to Logan, while keeping busy with serving food as to keep their guest unaware of their mental conversation.

"You can stay Bub... but you pull anything" Logan threatened once more, but Gambit merely smiled

"Do not worry mon ami, Gambit is but part of the team" He spoke

"Not yet. You got to gain that position" Logan clarified "and I know just where to get you started"

* * *

"Are you sure?" Beast asked Logan reluctantly

"He's gonna fight with us, he has to be on the same level as us." Logan explained his intentions to Beast as they watched Remy enter the danger room.

"So all Gambit has to do is get to the other side?" Gambit asked from inside the danger room.

"That's right Bub, and you'll be one step closer to being an X-Man" Logan grinned "Run Simulation #54" Logan ordered the computer and it responded as explosions went off in the danger room.

* * *

"Can you believe he has Gambit running level 8 Sims for his first go" Bobby spoke as he and Kitty sat in front of the TV in the living room.

"Can you believe you still haven't passed level 7" She mocked him and received a shove in the arm

"Just because I can't walk straight through, doesn't mean I can't do it" He defended himself.

"Yeah yeah, be thankful that Gambit's run is cutting into our training time, or we'd be down there repeating those god awful simulations over and over and over" Kitty warned as they recalled yesterday's sessions

"Don't remind me" He held onto his head as if forcing images out of there. They laughed as they continued watching Tildie change channels.

"Will ya pick one already" Rogue said jokingly at the girl who cannot decide on a channel to watch cartoons on

"Yeah Kid, don't you know, the good guys always win" Bobby stated

"Shut up Bobby" Kitty nudged the teen and they started laughing all over again. An awkward silence fell between them as they looked at each other for a moment.

"I should probably go see if Peter needs help with setting up his new painting equipment" She excused herself

"Yeah... sure" Bobby responded half-heartedly as she got up and left.

Another moment passed after Kitty left the room before he turned to Jean "Saw that!"

Jean was resting her head on Scott's lap, speaking to him telepathically and privately, and Bobby's interruption did not agree with Scott's idea of a romantic mental get away.

"She was left speechless Jean. She definitely likes me. Oh I just levelled the playing field. Sure, he's big but at least I'm funny" He spoke proudly, and Jean merely laughed.

"Shut up Drake!" Scott yelled at the blonde, angered by his constant rambling.

"Yeah Bobby, we get it. Just go and ask her out, or kiss her or something... you getting happy over the silliest things won't make it happen" Rogue practically scolded him. In response Bobby flicked her off, drawing no attention to himself from Tildie; and walked out.

"You guy's shouldn't be mean to Bobby" Jean explained realizing how they found him annoying, but still having enough insight into his thought process to know why he was like that.

"He was getting on my nerves" Scott admitted

"Ah'm gonna go check on Gambit" Rogue excused herself

* * *

"Peter?" Kitty knocked "I'm coming in" she phased through the door into Peter's room and saw the Russian sitting on a stool, facing the window, while he had set up a canvas to his right. She walked towards him, and looked over his shoulder at the view of the ocean outside the window as the sun was just beginning to set. "Such a great view huh?" She merely whispered.

"It is" Peter agreed. "Katya" He looked at the younger girl and thought of their situation. He was an older male, by five years, which will be of very little significance once she turns eighteen. He thought of her as a friend to refrain him from his actions, yet he only thought of her and her simple self whom she tried to hide time and again, yet with him it came naturally, with no care or worry in the world.

"Yes?" She smiled to him. She was happy she could be like this around him. The more time she spent with him, the less awkward it got. She was getting used to him all over again. She studied him as she waited his next word, but all he did was look at her.

"Katya..." He said again faintly before he leaned closer. She instinctively closed her eyes and felt his lips on hers. It was a moment of pure bliss which lasted a mere second, before Peter parted the delicate meet. He looked at her and smiled. She felt her cheeks burn, but while looking at his smile, all she could do in return was smile back as all these thoughts ran through her head.

* * *

"Not again!" Forge complained as he entered the danger room's control room. "I just finished fixing it up from yesterday's session"

"Sorry Forge, this is to test for a new recruit" Logan explained

"Haven't seen him before" Forge admitted and studied his skill "this is a level 8... Is that ok?" He turned to Logan

"It's about to go up to level 9" Logan admitted as he instructed Beast to do so.

"Hey Logan, how's the new guy doing?" Rogue asked as she entered the room and looked over to see a large bar smash Gambit to the wall.

"He just finished" Logan answered as Beast ended the simulation.

-To Be Continued-


	6. Genosha!

Kitty leaned on Peter as they watched the sunset from his bedroom window. Neither said a word, but neither had to. Kitty would sigh to calm her racing heart, but Peter remained motionless as they enjoyed the sight of twilight taking place before them.

A growl at their feet, however, made them jump. Kitty phased through Peter and landed on the floor, where Lockheed began to lick her face. "Hey there" she greeted her friend "Haven't seen you much today. Have you been a good Dragon?" she asked and he cooed in response.

"Guten Abend Mein Freunds" another guest popped in, this time literary; as the German appeared on Peter's windowsill.

"Kurt!" Kitty scrambled off the floor and hugged her friend. She let go of him as Peter approached

"Nightcrawler, my little Tovarish. How are you?" Peter asked, also taking a turn at hugging his blue fuzzy friend.

"It's good to see you Piotr, yet all is not well Mein Freund" Kurt replied and looked to the Dragon on the floor before he continued his statement. "And who is this?" he asked curiously

"This is Lockheed. I found him in a meteor space ship rock looking thing" Kitty admitted to Kurt who only smiled at the sight of Kitty petting a Dragon like it was her dog.

"An X-Dragon to join our team then..." He joked at the thought

"What was wrong?" Peter reminded him of his earlier statement

"I came to report to Logan of happenings in Genosha" He spoke seriously

"He's probably still in the danger room" Kitty pointed out, whilst petting her Dragon.

"Danke Kätzchen..." he took a bow, excusing himself, before he teleported "Auf Wiedersehen" and with that Peter and Kitty were alone again.

"Hey!" Bobby waved as he entered Peter's room "You hang here a lot, don't you" Kitty blushed at Bobby's claim.

"Well, I just really missed Peter" She explained herself but didn't continue as Bobby walked towards them.

"Kitty I need to talk to you" He took a glance at Peter and turned to her.

"Alright… Lockheed stay with Peter" She instructed her Dragon before she left the room with Bobby. They walked far down the hall before he turned to talk

"Listen Kitty, I've been meaning to ask…" He scratched the back of his head contemplating over the words he practiced over and over "I know this is probably weird and all…" He struggled as he lost the order his words were meant to be in "but-" He just about knew what to say.

"Kitty, Peter, Bobby, meet in the War room ASAP. Wolverine has to talk to you… oh and Kurt's back" Jean ended her mental call out and Kitty looked over to Bobby apologetically.

"Tell me after?" she asked innocently

"Sure" He smiled to her as she began to walk towards the War room. A few moments passed before Peter appeared walking down the hall to their required destination

"Are you coming?" The man turned to Bobby as he walked with Lockheed flying next to him.

"I'll be there in a second" He waved Peter off. He waited until the secluded feeling sunk in and he believed her was truly alone. "FUCK!" he yelled out and began to stomp his way to the War room.

* * *

"It seems that Genosha has been of interest to Sinister..." Logan explained

"That's probably why the professor won't know of it happening since it was in Genosha..." Kitty explained and others looked at her baffled "Sorry I can't keep track of past, preset, and future tenses in this mess" she sarcastically noted before Wolverine continued.

"I need you three to go back with Kurt and make sure none of Sinister's henchmen recruit any of the mutants there" Wolverine instructed

"I've already imprisoned one, but a few more might come to collect their companion" Kurt explained

"Kitten, do you think your well enough for this?" Logan turned to Shadowcat before he continued

"Don't worry about it, I'm good to go" She smiled to Logan reassuringly

"Good. You'll go by Jet, and you are to stay there 'til further instructed" He went on

"Is that ok though, don't you need us here" Iceman interrupted

"I haven't gotten any word about Sinister's next move. Until the professor reports, we are going to have to follow this lead" Logan said as he handed documents to Kitty

"Alright, when do we go?" Iceman rubbed his hands in anticipation

"Now" Logan grinned

* * *

"YES YES YES! I get to fly the X-Jet" Kitty practically sang as she jumped about in the pilot seat

"Are you sure you know how to do this without a main pilot?" Bobby asked in fear of how excited Kitty was.

"Just because I only ever co-piloted, doesn't mean I don't know how to fly the X-Jet on my own" she flicked a few switches and the ceiling opened up. "So sit back, Shut up, and enjoy the ride" the jet lifted and rose out of its underground hangar before shooting through the night sky.

"I'll contact Wanda about the landing" Kurt went to the communicator and attempted radioing the centre at Genosha.

"So how have you and Wanda been?" Bobby questioned slyly

"Bobby... Shut up!" Kitty grinned, but knew better than to give Bobby the chance to meddle; hoping Kurt would do the same if Bobby attempted to ask about Peter.

"We are good to land Shadowcat" Kurt instructed and with that she landed the X-Jet with ease within the palace like building, on a similar spot to their last visit.

* * *

"Welcome to Genosha" Wanda greeted Kurt's friends as they exited the jet "I am Wanda, and this is my little sister Lorna" She gestured to the green haired girl flanking her right

"Hey, It's great to finally meet you" Kitty did not hesitate to hug Wanda before she continued with introducing herself and her team "I'm Kitty. This is Peter, and that's Bobby" Kitty took her role as leader of the three, introducing each with a motion of her hand. "And this is my good friend Lockheed" the Dragon intervened as he landed on her head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all" Wanda spoke appropriately to suit her role as the daughter of the former ruler of Genosha. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms" She began before she took the lead.

Bobby was already bored. He held his bag pack filled with clothes and necessities securely, keeping a good distance from Lockheed. He followed Wanda with the others as she took them through the halls. The structure of the building seemed intricate. They walked down a hall that had a few doors to one side, and big arc like gaps on the other that presented a great view of the city at night "Looks good, considering it got trashed" He commented.

"Having a few hundred mutants willing to rebuild what they consider their home takes less time than a few construction workers building for money" Wanda explained as they continued. "The boys will be staying in these rooms" She point at two doors that neighboured each other. "You're welcome to your own room, but if you wish to stay with either of the boys..." Wanda turned to her, attempting to keep a straight face at the thought of prying into Kitty's marital status.

"Kitty can stay with me" Bobby almost insisted before getting an elbow in the stomach "or not" he rubbed where Kitty got him and laughed. Lorna held her laugh as she looked away from the handsome men shyly.

"I'll be fine on my own Wanda, thank you" She respectfully replied. At opening the door the two men were astonished at how spacious their rooms are. Bobby grinned in excitement of having to stay in such great accommodations.

"Kurt's room is down the hall." Wanda pointed at the door that's at the end, which faced them. "Please do make yourselves at home, whilst I take Kitty to her own room" Wanda began to lead once again and without much said Kitty waved bye to her friends and followed alongside Lorna.

Kitty practically whistled as she walked down a few more halls "I got lost the first time I came, but I never thought it could be this big" Kitty complimented

"My father enjoyed complex things" Lorna responded

"I'll say" Kitty added humorously.

"This will be your room" Wanda opened the door to an even more majestic room than the boys'.

"You're kidding... can I stay here forever?" Kitty joked as she knew of her duties, yet still spoke her mind in amazement.

"I'll have guards collect you in an hour to discuss your visit further" Wanda responded after she gave Kitty time to look around the room.

"Feel free to call if you need anything" Lorna proceeded her hospitality "My room is next to yours... and my sister's room is across" She pointed out with a smile

"Thank you very much" Kitty smiled and waited for them to leave before closing her door. "Wanna take a shower in a really big bathroom Lockheed" She smiled at the thought and went to the bathroom to be taken aback by its size being almost as big as her room. "I can get used to this"

* * *

"We have guards everywhere, but Kurt insisted in having you here to help. It seems he worries of our own being influenced by Sinister. We also would like to assure you that we are prepared to join the X-Men if we are needed to fight off any malevolence" Wanda began elucidating to the group. They sat on a circular table in a grand room surrounded by nothing, and heard by no one other than themselves.

"We appreciate that, really. We don't know what could be happening, but we believe Sinister is planning big" Shadowcat explained before Iceman interrupted

"Who here feels like the Knights of the Round Table. This room is HUGE!" Bobby remarked, as he enjoyed hearing his own echo. Lorna looked away, giggling in response. Others merely gave him time to finish before continuing

"I suggest we take turns scouting the areas. Wolverine provided me with photographs of some of Sinister's known allies. These are from our last attack." Kitty showed everyone on the table pictures with a few information sheets on each. All took a few to study, reading through as much as they could in silence.

"Well, it's getting late, should I request to have the food brought in?" Lorna interrupted everyone's focus after some time has passed where they read and exchanged photos

"Yeah I'm STARVING" Bobby declared. Kitty looked up and noticed Lorna move her hand. A few moments passed and she moved her hand once again. It created a hole in the metallic wall for people to come in with their food.

"You have the ability to control magnetism?!" Kitty asked in shock but the green haired girl nodded steadily.

"Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" She stated and noticed Bobby's confused look before she continued "Like father, like daughter"

"Oh yeah" Bobby replied as if he know what she was on about before her short after assertion. "Of course" He didn't wait long before he began eating off his plate. Lorna studied him from his right as he ate.

Wanda sat on Lorna's right. She took her chance while eating to be playful when she reached for Kurt's hand under the table. She merely smiled as she began to draw infinite eights inside Kurt's palm, keeping herself unreadable by anyone else. Kurt turned to her and shot her a devilish smile before he returned to eating. To Bobby's left Kitty also attempted to be daring, but she didn't need to try hard as Peter reached for her hand to hold under the table and kept his expression as composed as Wanda's.

* * *

"Ok, Bobby. You need to get it together" Bobby spoke to himself as he paced in his room. They weren't expected to do much tonight so after dinner they all returned to their rooms. Bobby however refused to sleep as he formulated a plan to talk to Kitty. It was his chance to not be interrupted, and he knew it to be best to go visit Kitty before she fell asleep. Time was passing by, and he needed to start going to her room before she went to sleep. "Come on, you can do it!" Bobby spoke his last words before he peaked out of his door, and began walking down the halls towards Kitty's room. He was in socks, plain boxers, and an undershirt. He remained swift and silent as he finally made it out of the boy's dorm room area.

Kitty phased through the wall Bobby just passed and sighed as she almost reached her destination unnoticed. She walked to Peter's door and took in a deep breath. Her hand moved to the door and he tapped slightly. She waited until she heard him walk to open his door.

"Katya?"

"Hey, I couldn't sleep..." She admitted and he allowed her entrance

In the mean time, Bobby had finally reached Kitty's room. He tapped and tapped repeatedly while calling for her. The door next to her's opened and Lorna appeared in a robe. "Bobby?" She looked at him confused.

"Hey. Sorry to wake you. I wanted to talk to Kitty" He pointed to the door "But I guess she already fell asleep" He said disappointed.

"Well, if you want to talk" Lorna offered but he shook his head

"No it's fine, sorry to disturb you" He began to walk away before she stopped him

"Well how about a night tour?" she offered once more

"You know..." He looked over to her and smiled "That would be nice"

* * *

"Peter... do you think we can actually fix this?" Kitty asked as she sat on a chair by the window. Peter stood by the water boiler he had in his room, while he prepared himself and his guest tea as they talked.

"I think you needn't worry yourself too much. You are but a girl Katya, you are not expected to weight the world in your arms" Kitty laughed at his phrasing

"You mean carry the weight of the world on my shoulder's..." she smiled at her correction and took the mug of tea he had made for her "Thank you"

Peter took his seat across from her and looked out the window facing a garden on the inside of the building. "We can make the world beautiful Katya... that is why we fight" Peter explained as he added to their previous conversation.

"The world is beautiful. It's keeping idiots from ruining it is what I worry about" Kitty laughed half heartedly as she drank from her mug. Peter studied her as she hugged her knees to her chest, resting her head on them to look outside at the garden set up.

"Katya..." He called on her calmingly as he got up from his seat. "Excuse me, I need to brush my teeth for bed" He got up to the bathroom, leaving his empty mug behind.

"Take your time" Kitty kept looking out as she heard the door click behind Peter. She continued studying the structure of the garden and noticed two figures walking through. She smiled to herself as she recognised her friend with the green haired girl walking side by side. "Looks like I'm not the only one out and about" She held back a laugh as she got up from her seat. "I really should NOT be talking to myself".

"Is there something wrong?" Peter exited the toilet and Kitty held back laughing at herself.

"Nothing, just Bobby and Lorna are outside" She pointed them out, as Peter came close to where she stood. "Taking a romantic stroll I bet" she snickered

"Da" he smiled as he and Kitty were now leaning against the window to watch. He turned to her and held his hand to her cheek. He caressed her cheek as she faced him and brought her face closer as he leaned to kiss her. She allowed him to and they shared their tender moment. She proceeded with him as they moved to the side of the bed.

* * *

"And that's when Jean, the psychic, decides to call us all in to report! Can you believe my luck?" Bobby continued his tales of misfortune when it came to Kitty.

"That must have been terrible" Lorna agreed.

"To add to it, her Dragon keeps torching my stuff... you grow paranoid around that thing" Lorna laughed as Bobby continued his cynical tales. She listened to him complain as they walked all around the inside, and now the garden. "I've never been able to talk this much in my life... so anything you want to complain, or get off your chest" He turned to her with a supportive smile

"Not really, nothing that you don't know" She looked away as she blushed at the attention she now had.

"So nothing more than a father determined to control the world" he stated as if it was as normal as the day.

"What about your family?"

"I pretty much ditched them. They didn't really accept me. They loved me, but just the non mutant part of me" He confessed easily. Trusting her came easy knowing they were now on the same team.

"It's good you have some family that understand you though" Lorna commented "I don't know where I'd be without Wanda"

"Yeah, I don't think I've fitted in anywhere else better than with the X-Men" They had a moment of procrastination before Bobby decided to change topics. "Have you ice-skated before?"

"No, we don't get snow around here" she looked around and could not remember a time she had seen this garden covered in snow

"Well then, this will be ten times more fun" He admitted as he iced his hands. "I suggest you hold on" and reluctantly she obeyed as she held a hand to either side of Bobby's waist. He made an ice platform underneath them as he looked down at the green haired girl. "Having fun?" he asked and she looked to see they have risen a few feet in the air. She gasped and wrapped her arms around the blonde tightly. "Don't worry, I'm pretty good at this" and he continue by making a circular swirling bridge to the ground. "Come on" He unfroze his hands and held onto hers. He began sliding backwards down the circular path to the ground and kept eye contact with the girl to keep her calm.

-To Be Continued-


	7. Love Struggle

"That was nice. Thank you" Bobby spoke gratefully. He walked Lorna back to her room after they ended their tour, and by then he felt like he had told her everything he could think of that night. Girl problems, family issues, his dislike to men with large arms, and the struggle he had to deal with alone and as part of a team.

"I hope you won't lose your way too much now" She smiled, now more comfortable around the blonde boy.

"Probably will, but at least I made a good friend of a great guide" He joked. He looked at her and appreciated her green eyes, green hair, and contemplated on asking her if it was natural, but thought best not to anger the girl.

"Well, I guess I'll wish you luck with Kitty" She blushed at the thought, and he smiled at how cute she looked

"Yeah, you know... Talking to you put a lot in perspective" He admitted to her as she opened her door and walked into her room. He finally recognized what Jean and Hank have been hinting at, maybe he did have to be forward and stop playing games.

"Good Night Bobby" She smiled to him, awaiting him to take his leave.

"Good Night" He waved bye as she closed the door. He walked down the hall and took the turn back to his room, dragging his feet on his way, looking at his dirty socks in shame. He knew he should have worn shoes.

"Ouh" Kitty complained as she slammed her head against Bobby's. "Bobby?" she looked up at the blonde rubbing his head.

"Kitty? What are you doing up?" He asked as he looked behind him to make sure they were still alone, and avoided waking anyone up.

"Oh, questions the boy who took Magneto's daughter out on a romantic stroll" She mocked him, keeping her volume minimal.

"What? How did you- it was not a romantic stroll!" He whispered his defence sternly as he watched Kitty walk her way back to her room.

"Yeah yeah, you like her, don't you?" She accused him as he followed her back to her room. He attempted at convincing her otherwise, but kept failing miserably, no matter how much he repeated his sentences.

"No, I don't. Not like that" He rejected her ideas once again "Kitty, I don't". They reached her room and she snickered. She enjoyed the moments she got under his skin, no matter the hour.

"Oh, well then I'll ask HER tomorrow" she emphasised as she phased through her door and into her room.

Bobby took a deep sigh and knocked on Kitty's door. She took a second, but opened it.

"Bobby I-" She couldn't finish as he took her lips with his own, his hands holding her face up to him as he kissed her forcefully before letting go.

"I don't like Lorna..." He spoke before Kitty could say anything. He then smiled softly at Kitty who stood there in shock. "I've been trying to tell you" He admitted to her, trying to think of the words to portray his love.

"Bobby!" She grabbed his shirt and pulled him into her room "Are you insane! You did NOT just kiss me! Oh my God, I'm with Peter Bobby, PE-TER. we JUST made it official. I JUST got back from making out with him for the past, what, HOUR!" She found it hard to contain herself, her best friend kissed her, and she had finally gotten with the crush of her life. She looked the blonde over who held his head in shame. She looked down and saw Lockheed take on a defensive position at her feet, preparing to set the boy's socks on fire.

He didn't say anything, he didn't know. He knew she liked the guy, but didn't know anything has happened. He cursed the day he saw the movie where the girl fell for the guy just because he surprisingly kissed her out of nowhere. Now Kitty hated him, and he sure was struggling to register the concept that she and Peter Rasputin are now a couple. This was too much; she was telling him all this and he couldn't take it. He had no choice as he turned around and walked out, leaving her confused as hell, and him as heartbroken as he has ever been.

* * *

"Good Morning" Lorna approached Iceman as he walked around the Palace borders

"Good morning" He replied tonelessly.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly about her new friend

"Nothing." He lied, simple as, without much of an explanation

"Has work been THAT boring? I never knew you for a guy who would want trouble just for fun" Lorna attempted to make the jokes, but to no avail.

"I rather something did happen just so I can fucking hit something" Bobby spoke between gritted teeth. He practically told the girl to leave him alone or he would start yelling, but without giving him the chance Lorna left quietly.

* * *

"Katya is something wrong?" Peter asked as they walked towards open grounds of Genosha to split up later.

"Peter, Bobby kissed me last night" She spoke honestly, and gave Peter a chance to respond, but continued when he didn't. "I didn't want to, he just took me by surprise, and well... now I think I broke him" she admitted as she thought of him as a robot in her head falling off the empire state building, and is now in a billion pieces with a sad face.

"Sadly people cannot help who they fall in love with Katya" Peter explained to the girl, as he was containing his anger well for her sake.

"I know, but I think I was super mean. I started telling him off, about how he could do that, and that we just became official and well..." she trailed off, thinking over her stern words from last night.

"It takes time. Bobby did not know of us, and he will now have to move on, knowing that you are not... available" He tried to phrase himself correctly, yet struggled even as he moved his hands to his words like Kitty does.

"You know you're really cute when you attempt American slang" she stood on her toes to kiss him "Don't forget to report back in an hour, or I might just miss you too much" She finally said before she ran to another sector of the city.

* * *

"Bonjour, mon chéri" Gambit greeted Rogue as she entered the kitchen. "Would you like to try some of Remy's Jambalaya" He served her a plate.

"Ugh, what time is it?" Rogue struggled to stay awake as she continuously rubbed her eyes.

"It's almost past 3" He told her as he took off his cooking getup and took a seat beside her.

"That session yesterday REALLY got to me" she stretched before she began to eat. "This is actually good"

"Of course, how could you expect any less from a true Cajun, such as myself" He bragged and got a weak shove in the arm.

"Hey, something smells good" Scott entered the kitchen and took a seat. "Jean you make this?" he looked back to the red head that followed.

"Nope, and finally someone else who can cook" She admitted as she took a plate and poured herself some. "This looks delightful Remy, thank you"

"Why, you are very welcome" He replied as they all sat and ate.

"Oh finally food!" a grease covered Forge walked in and grabbed a plate "Jean you finally got better huh?" the room fell silent at his comment as all looked over to Jean for a response.

"Actually, Remy made this meal" Rogue praised

"Sorry Jean" Forge apologized as he sunk into his seat

"Wolverine" Gambit smiled as he welcomed Logan entering in the midst of the tension build between Jean's anger, and Forge's fear. "Like some Jambalaya mon ami?"

"Save the food Gumbo, we got a session in 30 minutes" Logan announced before exiting.

* * *

"Logan?" The professor called out before he continued.

"Yeah Chuck I'm here" Logan responded and in a second he was in the astral plane.

"Logan… It seems there is more to this future than I have thought. I am beginning to believe Sinister is but a pawn for this future's development" He explained frightfully

"What are you saying Charles. Sinister ain't our main problem now?" Logan asked angrily.

"At your time, he most likely is. In this day however, I'm afraid to say there is a force much stronger present..." He reported, still with not much certainty.

"You're telling me we are back to square one!" Logan growled as he clenched his fists.

"Not necessarily. Although slim, your chances are best if you watched out for Sinister… for now" The professor tried to calm his friend down with his concept and left at that, as nothing more was to be said.

* * *

"Kurt?" Wanda walked outside to the balcony as she heard Nightcrawler's infamous Bamf. "What's wrong?"

"I merely wished to say hello Fräulein" He bowed as he took Wanda's hand to kiss. "I would also like to remind you that tonight is the reopening of Genosha's amphitheatre" He took a moment before he continued "It would do me great pleasure to accompany you to tonight's show Wanda" He proceeded and Wanda merely blushed

"Kurt, I'd be delighted" She replied with a smile that only Kurt could put on her face.

"Till then my love, a bid you adieu" He bowed before he teleported from the balcony to a roof in the city to continue his duty as a temporary royal guard along with his friends.

"Wanda" Lorna found her sister and approached cautiously "I hope I did not interrupt you"

"Not at all" The brunette turned to face her sister with a sincere smile left from Kurt's visit

"You have gotten really close to Kurt" Lorna noted and was grateful for their love. It gave her hope on finding something of a similar nature with a man one day.

"Well, he has returned time and again to help us, and I'm grateful to him" Wanda said as she thought of the many times he has helped them.

"Have you confessed your love?" Lorna asked slyly

"He has… I however, don't understand the concept. I'm certain I have a great deal of love towards him, yet loving him is still an uncertainty" She attempted to explain, yet remained unsure of her words

"I'm starting to think I might be leaning towards an X-Man myself" She blushed as she confessed this.

"Oh dear sister, please refrain yourself from falling too far too fast." Wanda advised with a playful grin of curiosity at who the boy might be, but thought to leave it for her to tell her soon enough.

"Do not worry Wanda, he is interested in another" Lorna informed her sister regretfully

"Well, sometimes loving someone means wishing the best for them" her sister advised, in hopes of cheering the girl up.

"I know…" she admitted forlornly, but her sister did not accept this as she change the mood of their conversation to that of a less boy related topic.

"Come, we can go meet with them shortly for lunch, now Genosha needs it's leaders to keep them devoted" Wanda succeeded in pulling her sister out of that trail of thought and led her back inside to deal with important matters.

* * *

"Again" Wolverine ordered as they had failed the simulation run once again.

"Wolverine… we need… a break!" Storm admitted as she gasped for air.

"I'm with Storm" a tired Rogue agreed as she struggle to stay standing.

"This is what Bobby was hinting at to you Wolverine. We needn't over do it" Beast spoke from inside the control room. "We still need to be alive when the time comes" He joked yet Wolverine did not see this as a laughing matter

"Fine" he retracted his claws and walked out of the danger. As the door closed behind him the rest collapsed to the floor to rest.

"Remy can die happy now" Gambit laid on his back and looked over to Rogue with a dashing smile. He tried to reach for her hand but she pulled it back.

"Save it swamp rat, I AIN'T interested" She got up and began to walk away.

"Not yet Chéri… BUT SOON" Gambit called out behind her. She struggled to keep a straight face walking out of the Danger room; yet thankful he couldn't see the smile on her face at the thought.

* * *

"I'm happy we can finally have a decent moment alone here" Scott spoke as he prepped on top of his girlfriend. Jean smiled up at him as she laid in his bed. They have been constantly interrupted time and time again, but this time no X-Teens were around to do much. "To think Bobby had actually walked in on us three times. Twice I think he was so excited he didn't even realize what we were doing" Scott laughed. "Not to mention the third time when he finally realized the reason I lock my door and expect him not to freeze the lock to break just to tell you that he and Kitty almost held hand" He laughed

"At least he stopped after the third time" Jean added "Kitty on the other hand has actually phased from the room above down passed us" She recalled another memory

"Oh yeah. Well that was still better than that time she phased from Logan's to Kurt's room moving their stuff around as a practical joke.

"I remember that, now Logan stays in the room to the right, and Kurt, well his stuff are in the other room" Jean laughed "You have to admit Wolverine was in shock when his closets were filled with shampoo"

"Still having to pretend we were asleep as we were half way through…" Scott thought of that past situation.

"Don't you get a thrill from almost getting caught" Jean tried to recreate the memories as funny, happy ones.

"Almost… we always got caught" He joked, and Jean smiled

"That's because we just so happen to always be at it" she remarked.

"Well, I'm glad that drama case is gone" Scott leaned down to kiss his girlfriend.

"It hasn't been THAT bad" Jean joked as she knew of Scott's short temper when it came to whiney teens pretending to find true love.

"Every moment away from you has been hell. And having you without being with you has been worse" Scott turned on the romantic talk as he kissed his girlfriend's lips, and turned to kiss her neck passionately.

"I've missed you so much Scott…" Jean admitted as she took in a breath of his scent

"This time there will not be any interruptions, it's already in the process, and nothing should stop us" He spoke huskily as he returned to their previous activities

"Dare I say I want you Scott Summers" Jean spoke seductively. They knew of the many danger room sessions Wolverine had planned for the first group, and failed to restrain themselves as they were heard in the hall.

"Jean"

"Scott"

"JEAN"

"SCOTT"

"JEAN!!!"

"SCO-"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!" Wolverine yelled furiously and slammed the door to his room.

Scott growled from behind the door, while Jean muffled a laugh.

-To Be Continued-


	8. A Change Of Heart

"This had been so much fun Kurt, Thank you" Wanda leaned closer to the X-Man as they strolled through the city streets.

"Like our first night, without the possible attack" Kurt reminded her

"I do enjoy those fights though, like our time at Mojo's world... although was strange, but fighting with you..." she trailed off

"I rather fight alongside you than hundreds of the strongest warriors" He admitted to her as they appreciated the moonlight, and the silence of the night.

* * *

"Shit" Iceman cursed after he made impact with the metal wall from an earlier attack."Angel, BACK OFF!" He warned as he collected himself and shot an Ice-beam in the direction of the artificially modified mutant.

"Pathetic" Archangel guarded himself with his wing that froze over, but with a stretch the ice broke off and the mutant was still in motion. "You will surrender t-" Iceman grinned as his enemy had now been slammed to one side by Colossus.

"Yeah, SUCK ON THAT!" He cheered and pointed at the mutant that struggled to get up.

"Foolish attempts" Archangel held himself up against a wall and struggled with his sight. Colossus had gotten a head blow incidentally, causing his headache and blurred vision. He drowned it away with determination as he revealed the full extent of his wings. Iceman and Colossus both took a step back before getting into position. To their surprise their teammate was able to get behind their enemy and phase his wings into the wall with ease. She reappeared out of the wall as she dusted her hands in accomplishment.

"That wasn't so hard. Iceman" She called on her teammate and he responded, freezing their enemy over with ease.

"You honestly think he's strong enough to break metal" Bobby asked, looking over their now captured enemy.

"His wings are metal, so better safe than sorry" Kitty replied. She thought over the possibility of having Lorna bend them out of shape, but changed her mind; recalling he was still Warren.

"What now?" colossus asked. He never did think of Warren as someone he was particularly close to, but he had fought alongside him once, and now seeing him as he is, modified yet evil, was certifying how much he was needed at this time.

"We ummm..." Kitty thought up options. She forgot to ask what they would do AFTER they captured any of Sinister's aliases. "We could.... er...."

"You don't know do you" Iceman shook his head in disappointment. "I'm going to have to tell Logan that you failed as a leader" he mockingly threatened.

"Hey I trapped Arch- freakin' -angel in a WALL!" She pointed at the trapped mutant and leaned towards Bobby in anger as she yelled "YOU on the other hand FAILED TO CALL US SOONER!" She poked his chest accusingly.

"Yeah well i could have taken him" He responded after she had taken a few steps back.

"You sure proved it by all the ice everywhere" She pointed out the shattered and melting ice around the area "how long were you going to last if we hadn't come, five, ten minutes?" she spoke as she explained to the teen how his egotistical decision of fighting Archangel alone would have cost him his life, and their mission, but more importantly his life.

"Forget this" Bobby began to walk away, ignoring what he took as put downs from the younger girl who had been assigned the leader, yet was the last of the three to join the X-Men. He had no respect from her, or the team.

"Stop being such a-" Kitty attempted reaching for him but phased through

"Woah, you ok?" He turned to her in concern, forgetting all about their argument.

"I'm not sure" She tried to touch him again but phased. "This is so not good"

* * *

"I'm not sure yet Bobby" Beast spoke through the screen "I haven't seen anything abnormal, and to my understanding it's merely Kitty's Mutation advancing to the next level" He tried to explain yet was not appreciated

"Are you fucking KIDDING ME!" Bobby responded in frustration, once again proving his lack of interest in the science when it's not helping.

"Calm down Ice-cube" Kitty spoke cheerfully as she took a few steps in mid air "I'm just excited about this whole walking on air deal" she admitted. At her attempts to reach the room earlier she struggled with remaining tangible against the different floor level to walk up the stairs, but her strength of mind was able to make it so that her molecules rejected that of air. At opening her eyes she was surprised to know her steps have taken her a few inches higher than the stairs themselves, and what all were shocked about, she was thrilled. "Hey you think I could walk on water with the same concept?"

"Kitty, get serious. None of us can hold you!" He tried to hold her hand, but phased through.

"I just need a second." She defended as she reached for his hand and help it "First time was the big shocker, this time, I guess, I just need to focus on staying solid" She tried to calm her friend down as his reaction was not helping her keep things clear.

"Tell me when you're solid again" Bobby pulled his hand out of hers and began to walk away.

"You'll know." She attempted to remain positive "I'll make sure to beat you crapless over that nonsense you started up" She laughed out as he walked to the door.

"Whatever, I'm gone" He left the room and Kitty sighed over her botched attempts

"Can I ask about what's happened?" Beast, still on the communication screen, asked curiously

"Nothing we can't blame on hormones" Kitty joked pathetically as she walked up to the monitor. "Genosha out" she said and focused before attempting to press the off button.

* * *

"Sinister's moving" Logan began. "Shadowcat's team have captured Archangel, and Nightcrawler already had Blockbuster as a captive before they left" He continued. "Now, is this making any difference in the future?" He finally asked

"Unfortunately Logan, It's still the same" the professor shook his head as he looked onto the unchanged future

"Damn it! Don't you know of any other names we can follow? Sinister isn't an easy target, anyone else have anything to do with this?" They still had no clue as to what Sinister is up to, yet his henchmen were already attempting to hit Genosha. All they knew was there is a possibility mutants are being persuaded onto his side, which is never good. And unless they could actually find Sinister it doesn't seem like any of their training will do much.

"The only other I know of is Apocalypse" Professor noted and awaited Logan's reply

"Never heard of him" He responded to the name as if it were that of a mutant thug with an ego complex.

"Yes, but he is what all mutants hail now" The professor corrected Wolverine's assumption, and thought of the possible power the mutant has.

"What about none mutants?" Logan asked, thinking of the possibility of other brigades they should look forward to.

"I have not seen any" He simply answered

"None. You think their dead?" Logan contemplated on looking forward to that, maybe Apocalypse wasn't such a bad guy, world can't be that bad with only mutants.

"No." The professor answered Logan's question and thought "I think they have merely been changed"

"By Sinister?"

"And Apocalypse" The professor added. Human's into mutants, this was definitely something in the making if it'll be worldwide in twenty years.

"Well, I'll be heading to Genosha to see if we can pry out some information about all this from his lackeys. Keep me posted Chuck" Logan walked out and thought of their next possible move.

* * *

"I don't get her" Bobby began to admit to Lorna as they sat on a bench outside in the garden. "She's just... Why can't she see we'd be so great together" he asked rhetorically

"Maybe your only great as friends though Bobby" Lorna tried to persuade him to change his perspective

"She's more than a friend, I can feel it, and I still should have a chance" he refused her ideas as he repeated his own.

"Bobby, sometime's when you love someone, you got to think of them before yourself" She spoke from experience as she listened to the boy once again admit to his feeling to Kitty

"I'm not in love though, not that much..." He laughed at the mere statement as he sat down to explain "slow down Lorna, I like her, love is something I won't get myself into only after three, maybe four months" He looked away as he pretended to think of the possibilities

"You're such a guy" she commented pathetically, nudging him on the arm "Well then you do what you have to, cause you're not listening to reason" She looked at him as he got up from where he sat.

"Who needs reason when you're a reckless, immature, and arrogant kid like me" He praised himself over what he was repeatedly blamed of being by his professor. He took pride in it when it came to non X-Men related issues, but learned to stay on his game when it came down to it. "Alright, I'm off" He stretched and began running to his room, through the long route.

"Good night and good luck" Lorna waved, keeping up her facade as she hurt whenever she mentioned her name. She liked Kitty, and took to her easily. She also believed to love Bobby, who is infatuated with Kitty. Kitty on the other hand is in love with Peter, who doesn't seem to have any demons.

* * *

"What did the professor say" Jean asked as Logan entered the War room.

"Apocalypse. Any of you know of him?" Logan looked around to unresponsive faces

"No, what's going on Logan?" Scott spat as an order

"Nothing's changed in the future. So we have to take the next step" he entered coordinates onto the computer map and looked over the perimeter. "Sinister couldn't have up and emptied out his old lab completely. Cyclops" he turned to the taller man. "You, Jean, Rogue, and Gumbo over there see what you can find in the area and his old lab"

"What about you?" Scott questioned in irritation to his orders

"I'm going to Genosha" Logan grinned as he left them to prepare

* * *

"I don't get him Peter" Kitty complained "One minute he's my best friend, the next he's a heartbroken wreck and treating me like dirt" she scornfully complained, taking her seat next to Peter's bedroom window with a tub of ice-cream they had in the mini freezer that was next to the mini fridge in the mini bar area of the almost like hotel room peter stayed at.

"Is that when you two are arguing, or when you are not?" Peter asked humorously.

"Ha-ha" she responded monotonously "there were a few serious remarks said Peter, he definitely hated on me... and then he's all sincere and caring" she began to attack the ice-cream with her spoon and swirled it around vigorously before taking a spoonful to eat.

"Maybe you should give him a chance to-" Peter attempted a suggestion

"What?! No! I finally get to be with you, I don't want to be with him, not as much as you" She regretted even mentioning the thought of being with him in her response, and turned away from her boyfriend.

"That is not what I meant" He tried to clarify his intentions.

"I can't talk about this anymore" she didn't hear it as she got up from her seat, placing down the ice-cream before turning away "Next thing you might just tell me to date Lorna and see how that works out for me" She left irritated and even more confused without given him a chance to say anything.

"Trouble mein freund?" Kurt asked as he approached Peter's open door, where Peter stood to watch Kitty walk off to her room.

"Da. We had captured Archangel and contained him" Peter explained to his friend, still concerned over Kitty who took the turn out of sight.

"I meant with our little Kätzchen" Kurt corrected him, having already been told of this by Bobby; and took in Kitty's anger from the way she stormed off

"That, tovarish, I do not know" He replied honestly, now even more puzzled over this relationship's course than he was before he decided on kissing her.

* * *

"Hey Wolfie" Forge greeted his leader. "What you need?" the man wiped off grease from his hands as he was about to go wash up for bed.

"How long 'til the Helicopter is flying?" Logan asked as he looked over the machine dissatisfied

"This baby won't be going anywhere tonight" Forge patted his creation and heard a piece fall out.

"When can you get it working by then?" Logan cut to the chase as he asked once again

"Tomorrow, maybe, If I pull an all-nighter, maybe" He repeated his uncertainty

"This is depending on?" Logan asked curiously as he raised a brow.

"As much as the amount of coffee we have" Forge grinned in response before taking in a sigh and walked back to the machine "I'll get right on it"

* * *

"Stupid Stupid Stupid! Why was I getting mad at Peter, I'm supposed to be angry with Bobby. Well stubborn Jackass Bobby." She marched up and down her room as Lockheed looked at her from her bed. He cooed in response and she turned to him. "I know Lock, but it isn't supposed to be this hard. Its bad enough we deal with all this crap. I just wanted my love life to be better than a train wreck... Is that too much to ask?" She asked the Dragon, who did not respond, before she walked to her window and noticed the lack of light from Peter's room. He was probably asleep by now, and resting up. She really did feel horrible about being short with him. She looked down and studied the garden. It was majestic at dawn, but never looked any more romantic than it did at night.

"Lock, you like Peter, right?" She turned her head to see the dragon fly to her side. He cooed in response. "You have fun with Bobby though" he made a chuckling like growl noise as he landed on the table by the window. He rested as she continued studying the garden as she did from Peter's room, yet from a different angle, which hardly felt right.

She noticed a figure walking in the garden and recognised him in an instant. "Lockheed stay here" She ordered her dragon "I need to go make sure that me and Peter will be okay." She left the room, grabbing a robe on her way.

She ran down the stairs, having controlled her phasing, and made her way outside. She took the longer route to think up her words before she reached him. She thought best to just say it, say that she loves him, and that he's the only guy she could possibly think of. She ran out prepared to tell him all her deepest feelings towards her boyfriend. But found him with another girl. His hands on her shoulders, his lips on hers, and their figures alone in the dark of the night; the sight made her sick she couldn't take it, so she ran.

* * *

"Kitty?" Bobby opened his room's door surprised to see his friend standing there in her open robe and very skimpy pyjama. "Is something the matter?" he asked as he noticed her blood shot eyes and tear streaked cheeks.

She didn't reply. There was nothing to say. She leaned into him and kissed his lips. He took a moment to respond to that but relaxed as he took her lips in his. He pulled back and smiled down at the girl as he held her hand to guide her in, flicking the door closed behind them for privacy.

-To Be Continued-


	9. Therapy

"I apologise, but I cannot accept this" The Russian pushed away the green haired girl that kept leaning closer. "I am with Kitty" He began to explain

"Oh" she glanced around and returned to the bigger man "it's ok" she spoke cheerfully and walked away. Leaving him as he was, alone, at night, in the garden.

* * *

Kitty sighed in delight as she turned in bed. The sunlight hit her face gracefully to wake her up, yet the heavy breathing of the male beside her was enough to raise her awareness of her current situation.

"Good morning" she smiled at him as he continued studying her.

"Good morning Mrs. Drake" he leant down and kissed her

"NO!" Kitty shot up from her sleep.

"WHAT! WHO? HUH?!" A confounded Bobby fumbled awake from his side of the bed, which remained uncrossed.

"This is too wrong" She said as she got out of bed, reaching for her robe that she left on a chair and started putting on her socks.

"Kitty?" Bobby looked over at the brunette, still not completely awake. He turned and looked at his bedside clock. "It's almost three in the morning, what's up?" he asked confused by her sudden actions.

"I gotta go" and without another word she left him in his bed, alone, to return to her room.

* * *

"Guten Morgen" Kurt greeted as Bobby entered the room. Everyone sat accordingly as they had before on the circular table, yet no eyes met. Lorna looked at Bobby, who looked at Kitty, who glanced off the paper in front of her at Peter every so often, who fought looking over at Lorna in case she was looking at him.

"Can somebody tell me what is going on?" Kurt asked as all were preoccupied.

"This is stupid, everyone!" Wanda called on the group. "I will not have inattentive guards protecting the people of Genosha. To the bean bags"

"What?" Bobby questioned what the woman had just said.

"Now!" She ordered and all got up to follow her.

* * *

"So what's this, some sort of therapy" Kitty studied their surroundings of childish toys, wallpaper, and more and more bean bags.

"It's our little thinking corner" Lorna admitted

"More like dungeon" Bobby inputted his comment as he inched away from a unicorn poster.

"Anyone cares to start" Wanda walked around the room and noted what each did mentally. "How about..." She swirled her finger in air and pointed. "You"

"Me?" Kitted responded. She glanced over to Peter, who remained as he was, looking away from the rest of them. "Ok then, fine." She stood up and smiled. "Am I supposed to say my name and illness?"

"Kitty" Wanda merely warned in her tone and Kitty chuckled

"Ok, not then" She regretfully joked before she began "Well, to start. Peter and I just got together a few days back. Then I find out that Bobby likes me on the same night me and Peter get official" She spoke as a true teenage girl, realizing the drama as she told her tale.

"I've liked you before the big guy came back" Bobby interrupted

"It's not your turn!" Wanda shushed him

"Ok, so Bobby kissed me, but I rejected it because I'm with Peter. Then Bobby is all mad at me for some weirdo reason"

"That's because you rejected me" he tried to defend his earlier actions

"This better be the last time you disrupt this talking session Iceman" Wanda warned and Bobby piped down.

"So I tell Peter who suggests I give Bobby a chance" Bobby attempted to say something but Wanda's deadly glare stopped him. "I didn't want to hear it so I left..." She trailed off.

"Then what?" All leaned in for the next part, as her story telling skills captured them.

"Then I saw Peter, kissing another girl outside in the garden" she said it in a sadden whisper before looking away

Peter's eyes revealed his shock of her knowledge of that kiss; he had to set the record straight before it went too far, and before he loses her. "Katya, no that is not what happened, Lorna-"

"Lorna?" Bobby, Kitty and Wanda all looked to the green haired girl.

"Explain" Wanda took the role seriously now as she looked down at her little sister

She looked away to collect herself before replying her reasoning "I only did it for Bobby"

"For me?" he questioned, innocent of anything that has happened regarding the Russian cheating on Kitty

"You know, I never knew a boy like you could infuriate me so much in less than an hour" Wanda turned to the teen in sheer annoyance.

"Hey, don't look at me, I didn't ask her to smooch the big guy" He defended as he motioned to himself then to the Russian who now sat quietly as he knew better than interrupt Wanda.

"I only kissed him for Kitty to see" Lorna continued her side of the mess "So that she can stop being with Peter and turn to you" she went to Bobby, to justify her reasoning

"I didn't want it like that. I didn't want my friends hurt, just because I can't get what I want" Bobby now spoke in antagonism. Uncertain if he was to blame for this mess over creating such a biased view against Kitty and Peter being together in Lorna's mind.

"But..." Lorna attempted again to rationalize her intentions

"No Lorna, those are games I didn't want to play. I wanted to earn Kitty, to win her over, not hurt her in any way" He shook his head at the thought of the only reason she ever thought of kissing him last night was her broken heart over another man. "She came over last night, upset confused, not even I wanted to take advantage of her in that situation" He added as he recalled him making sure, trying to make her talk and see if she was alright before putting her to sleep without even reaching to be near her in bed. "I couldn't do that to a friend, and I couldn't believe you'd do that to her" he began to walk out. He slammed the door behind him as he left.

The room fell silent as each glanced at the other in thought.

"Kitty, I'm sorry. Peter did push me away as soon as I kissed him" Lorna cut the silence as she began to correct what she had done wrong.

"Lorna..." Kitty instigated. "Leave me alone, I need to go find Bobby." Kitty turned to the Russian man with a smile that signified that they were okay. "I'll catch up with you later" She waved bye to him before leaving.

"Da, of course, he's your friend" He smiled back, and waved, pleased to know they were still together

* * *

"There. After spending the night and spending many hours of continuous work. It's done!" Forge declared as he revealed it to Logan. "This baby will fly like no other helicopter... Well maybe one of the MRD's since I jacked some of their parts" He admitted with a laugh, leaning against a table

"Good job forge now..." He turned to see the mechanic asleep on his tool box that was set up on the table. "FORGE!"

"Yeah!" Forge stood up "I'm Awake..." he rubbed his eyes

"Go get yourself a cup of coffee, you need to give me a run-by the controls" Wolverine pointed him out of the hangar.

* * *

"Come on Chère, You won't hurt Remy too much" Gambit spoke as the team had found their way back to Sinister's lab and were searching through halls and passages to the main room.

"Remy. No." She turned to Gambit and saw his pleading face "Then again, maybe a good coma would do you good" She spoke her callous comment and earned a giggle from Jean at the thought.

"It's worth it, no?" Gambit reached for Rogue's gloved hand and held it. "What's the harm from a kiss?"

"I don't even know you" She excused herself again. "And in my case, plenty" she then on added

"Remy's surprised you didn't use that excuse earlier Chère" He smiled as he could tell she blushed by the redness that got to her ears "Now how about that Kiss, hmm?" He turned her around slowly and leaned.

"Stop goofing around, we're here" Cyclops ordered as he budged open a door to have a peek before taking a few steps back to blast through it.

They entered the room cautiously, recalling their last battle, and how much neater it looked now. "Spread and search" Cyclops ordered before each took a corner to look through for something to find.

"You think we have much luck of finding anything?" Jean asked as she opened drawers

"It beats extreme session in the danger room" Rogue admitted while looking through closets

"How has Cerebro searching been?" Scott added

"Not good. Then again, I was never really ever able to find Sinister through Cerebro before" Jean responded. "Scott, I don't think-" She turned to him just to see the previously shot out of the wall door had now slammed Scott to one side. The object turned around and tried to hit jean but she was able to stop it.

Scott, on the floor, struggled to get up. "Magneto!" he called out.

"Look Pietro, the X-Men decided to drop by" He grinned malevolently

"Should we kick them out father?" the speed demon asked in anticipation

"Where's you leader? Or has Wolverine gone on sabbatical?" Magneto joked

"If you are working with Sinister Magneto" Cyclops intimidated, reaching for his visor

"How dare you accuse me to work alongside a villain Cyclops" Magneto continued

"Not that he hasn't tried to get us to join" Pietro added with a smirk plastered on his face

"Pietro" his father corrected him from interrupting. "Now, what is it you want? Or were you merely here to say hello to a former enemy"

"We don't have to tell you anything Magneto" Jean now injected into the conversation. "Scott"

"There's nothing left here" Cyclops turned to walk away

"But" Rogue attempted to speak, but cut herself short at seeing all were following Cyclops to the door

* * *

"You okay Bobby?" Kitty walked up to the teen sitting on the edge of a roof.

"You know, walking on air is pretty awesome" he smiled to the girl floating in front of him

"I know, isn't it?" she smiled back as she continued her way till she reached the roof and turned tangible. They had a moment of silence before she turned to him "I like you Bobby" She admitted. "But, Peter... I think I love him... I know you probably don't want to hear this"

"I don't" he added

"Well, too bad. I'm saying it anyways" She smiled, and got one in return. "You're an awesome guy, and Lorna likes you, a lot." She took a break before progressing in her speech "I know, at this time, I don't think of her as one of my favourite people, but you should know how feelings towards someone make you do stupid things" She turned to him but saw no change in his expression. "You can't be mad at her forever; you have to forgive a girl for trying..." She finished as she reached for his hand.

"You know, I do miss talking to her..." he trailed off and turned to Kitty. "Thank you" He smiled. She leaned to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I know you know what to do... Now, I need to actually do what we came here to do and so do you, so get off your butt" she slapped his shoulder encouragingly.

"Alright alright" He got up, rubbing his shoulder after she made impact. "Have I ever told you how pushy you are?"

"Yeah, but you love me anyways" she added as she began to walk away

"That I do", he turned to his ice form and bridged himself to the sector he was in charge of.

* * *

"Logan, it's good to see you mein freund" Kurt greeted as the X-man got out of the helicopter

"Where's Archangel?" He asked. Kurt didn't wait before he began to lead him to the imprisonment cells.

"We have not been able to get him to tell us of Sinister's plan, and Blockbuster has been... difficult" Kurt quickened his pace as he admitted to their failure.

"Don't worry about it" Wolverine revealed his claws "I'll get him to talk"

They entered their prison to see all the guards collapsed on the floor, and the cells that held the captive marauders crashed and empty. Kurt bent down to awaken the guards.

"How did this happen?" Kurt asked having finally gotten one of the mutant guards to awaken

"I was taken out... from behind" Senyaka attempted to speak as Kurt helped him up to stand.

Wolverine's heightened senses were able to tell that the mutant spoke the truth, yet he could not recognise the scent of the traitor. "Shit" Wolverine cursed and sheathed his claws. "Blockbuster broke archangel free, with the chunk of metal, they couldn't have gotten far" Wolverine explained from his sight of the situation before he went off.

* * *

"Stop!" Colossus ordered as he was now facing Blockbuster.

"Get out of my way X-Man" He ridiculed his group as he charged, but Colossus easily grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

"That was-" a green Dragon-like mutant cut off Colossus as he dropped the half wall half Archangel package he carried on top of colossus.

"Good work Sauron" Blockbuster applauded their new recruit as he approached their teammate to carry.

Sauron yelled in pain, and fell beside Blockbuster. He turned to see Lockheed take action and breathed out flame at the two Marauders. Archangel remained silent and witnessed the fight, he could not move as his wings were still captive to the wall. He felt himself move and saw Colossus jump into action once again.

A growl was heard from behind Blockbuster as Wolverine jumped at him. Sauron attempted to flee by air but was held back by his foot as Colossus took his chance to slam the mutant down onto the ground.

* * *

"This is terrible, our own people" Wanda spoke stunned as the X-men helped return the former captured mutants to their cells.

"Tell me where he is Angel!" Wolverine endangered Archangel with his claws as he yelled at the captive mutant.

"You wouldn't dare hurt me, now would you Wolverine" Archangel spoke as Warren would, and with that Logan backed up.

"I probably shouldn't, but he can..." Wolverine jerked a thumb back at the previously wounded mutant "Senyaka..." Logan called and the mutant approached. "Do your worst, and tell me if you get anything new" He commanded and left the mutant along with five other guards of Wanda's to interrogate the prisoners.

"Is that wise mein freund, to leave them?" Kurt asked as they walked out, following Wanda to the discussion room.

"We can't spend every minute with them, and I sensed they all had strong allegiances to Wanda and Genosha" Wolverine explained as he entered the room.

"Logan!" Kitty didn't refrain from running up towards the man to hug. "What are you doing here?" She looked behind him to see Colossus with Lockheed had followed. "What happened?"

"Archangel got out" Wolverine explained, shocking the girl who had captured the mutant.

"Do not worry Katya, they have been taken care of" Peter explained, returning to his human form. She relaxed before looking at Logan irritated

"You could have said he got away, and you got him back Logan" She lectured the older male as she spoke.

"Not the time Kitten. I need to contact the institute" Wolverine turned to Wanda and she nodded

"Of course, I'll take you" She left the room, followed by Logan and Kurt.

"Hey Wolverine" Bobby greeted but got no response "Bye Wolverine" he turned to see him continue on his way before he entered the room.

"Wolverine is here" Kitty told Bobby, who was late for their reporting of the past few hours.

"Yeah, just passed him, something happen?" He asked as he took his seat.

"Seems like they tried to make a break for it, but Colossus and wolverine" Lockheed growled to interrupt "and Lockheed" she added, while smiling to her Dragon friend "Stopped them"

* * *

"Anything?" Wolverine asked the mutant on the screen.

"We found Magneto" He responded "He was staying at Sinister's old lair"

"Why would my father choose to stay there?" Wanda asked but Cyclops shook his head unknowingly.

"We didn't find anything, but we were practically kicked out. There was no point at facing Magneto in a room filled with surgical knives" Cyclops explained

"Alright" He couldn't argue with that. He knew the difficulties that came with facing Magneto, and knew it to be even harder when he himself was a sharp object. "Tell Jean to keep searching on Cerebro, but this time for groups of mutants that might be getting together to start something" Wolverine began. "Sinister isn't the only one we are looking for now"

-To Be Continued-


	10. Magik

A rattling sound came from behind the window, which awoke a small familiar blonde, blue eyed, girl from her sleep.

"Hello" the girl answered as she opened the window. She looked around before calling out again in Russian.

"Hello..." Sinister appeared from the shadows flanked by a few mutants. The girl looked frightened yet she hesitated to react. "Magik" He called to her and a sudden surge fell over her as if awakening a force that has been dormant inside, never to have been released before. She knew she was different, but didn't realize it could overwhelm her this much.

"What is this?" She looked at herself as she felt her entire slowly being altered before returning to a normal, or as normal as she was. She studied her hands and saw nothing different. She turned her head to the mirror and screamed in the image of her as a monster, a demon; with horns, fangs, and a tail.

"Illyana" two older men ran to her room, but no one was there. They ran to the open window and called to her again, but no response, and no sign of the little blonde girl.

* * *

"I need to speak to my brother, Piotr" a man asked over the phone. Jean struggled with the accent but recognised its familiarity to Peter's.

"I'm sorry he's not here" She responded slowly and as coherently as she could.

"Please..." the man began to cry "Please... it's important"

"I'll see what I can do" Jean assured the man before hanging up.

"Scott" she turned to her boyfriend on the couch "Can you go call up Genosha, and ask for Peter" She asked politely, and without hesitation he got up and left to do her bidding.

* * *

"What's up?" Bobby entered Peter's room as Kitty sat on a chair and Peter paced back and forth on the phone as it rang.

"Well, Scott called telling Peter that his something or other called the institute from Russia, and that he needed to speak to him urgently. So, now here we are waiting for them to answer, or at least waiting for Peter to get a connection from my cell... WHICH WOULD BE BETTER IF HE STOPPED MOVING AND JUST STOOD NEXT TO THE WINDOW LIKE I TOLD HIM" She instructed to the man behind her in a loud orderly fashion as she remained facing Bobby.

"Ouch. Well, It can't be that bad" Bobby knew it wasn't like Kitty to get edgy, but kept in line and refrained from asking questions he shouldn't

"I don't know... Peter never once got an urgent call from his family" Kitty's mood changed to that of upmost concern. She looked over to the worrying man sympathetically before turning away to look out the window for an escape from the situation at hand.

"Hello" Peter finally spoke into the phone. He continued in Russian as the two sat anticipated. His tone seemed confused as he seemed to struggle with the signal. He responded in shock and hung up before turning to the two teen mutants. "I have to return"

"What, Why?!" Kitty responded as she noticed the agony in his speech.

"I could not understand, but something is not right, and they mentioned Illyana" He said while he went looking for his duffel bag to begin packing.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we have a mission" Bobby reminded him but the other mutant turned at him in anger.

"Niet! I came to help you when you needed me, now my family need me more. I will not be far when my little snowflake needs me!" He lashed out at Bobby before continuing his packing at finding his bag.

"That's understandable. Could we at least run it by Logan to see who can fly you there" Kitty approached the man calmly, speaking as softly as she could, as not to anger him anymore than he was.

"Da, I'll find Logan" He nodded before leaving with his things all packed and ready. The two teens shared a glance before they decided on following him.

* * *

"I can't stop you, but we can't be going out of our way dropping you off back at Russia" Wolverine explained. He knew of the situation, and he knew it was risky for Colossus to be far away when he played such an important part in the future.

"You must!" Peter yelled before being quieted down by Kitty placing her hand on his arm, which took an offensive position; and pulled him back.

"Calm down Peter..." She spoke to him making a bit of space between him and Logan "Let me talk to him, okay?" She smiled at the Russian man who looked as upset as he has ever been.

He took a breath and relaxed, smiling back to emphasise that he was alright before she left him.

"Logan... a word?" She pulled him to a corner before she started "Listen, we can't let him on his own. Sinister is after him, remember?" He tried to put in a word but she continued, leaving no room for Wolverine to argue or retort to her point. "If he has to go there all alone, he will." She began to poke the facts into Logan's chest as she continued "You know Colossus. He'd walk across the god damned ocean for his family if he had to, and if half way there he bumps into Sinister the future will definitely remain unchanged and shit" Logan once again tried to respond. "And if you were to think that just because he knows Sinister is evil, that he won't change sides, but what if he's over powered and forced into it, then changes and becomes like Angel. What then Logan? What!?" Kitty has gone over dramatic as what started as a whispered explanation ended up with her yelling her last words.

"Kitten..." Logan spoke slowly as the girl breathed heavily in frustration. "You can go with him... just make sure you can get back as soon as you can" He motion his hands to calm her down as he explained.

"Really?" Kitty shot out of her phase and smiled. "Thank you" she hugged him and left the much older man baffled at her quick responsive transition of emotion. "Peter..." she ran to her boyfriend "What are you waiting for? Come on! I'll take you to Russia... We'll solve this family crisis in no time" she cheered him on positively and pulled him along, as he too was perplexed by how she was able to convince Wolverine to allow this.

"She's as good as they get" Bobby admitted

"Yeah, she should be President... that'll be the day" Wolverine spoke before he began to walk to attend to other duties.

"So Wolfie" that earned Bobby a glare from Wolverine. "Right, well, you think I can go with them?" He asked with high hopes.

"Not a chance Bub. You're staying right here, and covering more shifts" Wolverine smirked at the face Bobby made in shock.

"Wait, no..." he followed Logan "You can't do that!" Bobby exclaimed as he exited behind their leader

* * *

"Relax Peter... your edging me out" Kitty spoke as the silence of their flight to Russia has been tense, and uneasy.

"I'm sorry Katya. I just worry for my snowflake" Peter looked out the window, down on the terrain, recognising the landmarks.

"We're almost there" Kitty reminded him as not to allow the tense silence to come over them again.

"Da..." he pathetically responded, so not to seem like he was ignoring the girl.

* * *

"Bobby?" Lorna walked up to the X-man standing on guard in his usual spot near the palace. He turned away and took a few steps ahead. "Bobby, please..." she reached for his cold arm and held him

"Lorna, I'm not mad at you... I just, need time" He sat down and studied the mutants passing by.

"Bobby, can you at least let me apologize" She took a seat next to him on the floor and looked at him awaiting a response.

He took in a breath and turned his head to her. "Ok" He smiled weakly to add onto the facade.

"Bobby, I'm sorry. I know what I did was wrong. I really do, and I like you... a lot. You're funny, nice..." she trailed off before she noticed he stopped listening.

"Lorna, I-I can't." He shifted away "I'm just getting over Kitty... I don't... I wasn't thinking of you in that way... I can't suddenly change that" He put up his hands in defence and avoided eye contact, more interested with the back of his hand.

"I understand" Lorna looked away. She waited for him to speak, but got up to leave soon after

"Lorna, wait... I'm sorry too" He apologized, biting his thumb in thought

"Why?" She looked at his curiously; he had nothing to be sorry for. At times she wished he just broke out yelling so she would feel like she had been properly punished for her misdeeds.

"I don't know... I guess, I just feel bad too, and apologising seems like the right place to start" He admitted and chuckled

"Yeah... I get you" She smiled down at the boy before walking away. "Apology accepted" she waved and left the blonde to return to his duties.

* * *

The X-Jet landed on the snowy lands and without much of a wait Peter ran out and towards the lodge. A few other men walked out to meet him. Kitty followed as she saw Peter grab hold of one of the men and yell at him in Russian. He moved him to one side as he made his way through the lodge. Kitty ran behind him and saw him crash a door open in anger. She walked up to him slowly and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She is gone" He admitted. She took in the information rationally, and refrained from over reacting. She turned to him, and saw the large man fall to his knees in despair.

"No, Peter. Get up! You're not going to end up moping!" She yelled the order as she helped him up. "Now either you help me look for clues, or you go into the next room" She pointed out the door, but he refused to leave. He walked to her bed and looked outside the window. They spent the next few minutes looking for anything that might show signs of at least a struggle, but nothing.

"There does not seem to be anything different" Peter looked over and saw Kitty phase through the wall and leave the room to look outside.

"Stay inside peter, I think its best if I just walked on air around here, to not... you know... Alter evidence... I might find something outside..." She looked around and kept walking. She continued looking down at the snow as she walked, attempting to find any footprints or anything that might have been dropped. She finally stopped and looked up at a sight which left her baffled. "I'm now very sure she went out the back Peter... and I think I might know who might have taken her" She explained as she looked out on the number of bent trees that all pointed to one direction, away from the lodge.

* * *

"What's the report Kitten?" Logan asked as he stood in front of the screen facing a Kitty who seemed to be bewildered as she sat in the Jet.

"Logan, I think Peter's little sister is a mutant" She spoke hesitantly, and in a whisper

"How'd you come to that?" He asked sarcastically, unable to accept the fact as the professor or Jean would have at least realized it when they looked for Peter on Cerebro.

"A guess... but check this..." She held in front of the Jet's communication camera her own digital camera photo of the trees "trees don't grow out like that often" she moved the camera out of the way and looked down at Logan's face "It gets worse... with power like that. Who do you think will be looking to recruit her?" She asked rhetorically

"Sinister..." Logan snarled as he began to walk out

"Logan? Logan! What am I supposed to do now?" Kitty called from the screen

"Wait for me" He ordered simply

"Yeah, that'll be hard... seeing as Colossus is contemplating on whether or not to start threatening me at this point" Kitty glanced back at a very agitated, and impatient armoured mutant.

"Entertain him till I get there" Logan smirked at the thought and hung up, leaving Kitty as embarrassed as she has ever been.

She turned to the mutant behind her hesitantly. "So... Peter... Think you can get out of metal form for a bit to relax until Logan gets here?" She asked in fear and anxiety to what she could possibly have to do to a very upset Russian to keep his mind of one of the most important people in his life.

* * *

"Iceman, you and the Dragon get to be in charge here" Logan commanded before he left.

"I can't even be in charge of IT!" He jerked a thumb back at the purple being. Lockheed remarked with a growl that no one understood, and was left ignored

"Make sure nothing goes wrong here Drake..." He practically threatened as he got into the helicopter and flew off.

* * *

"Scott, come to Cerebro... I need you to look at something" Jean called to her boyfriend telepathically.

"What's wrong Jean?" He asked at entering the large room.

"Look" she started the process up and showed to him a global view of mutants, going through a historical registrar. "This is New York yesterday..." The red dots which symbolised mutant locations were distributed at random, and at zooming it, the pattern was just as unpredictable. "Now look at today" She used her mind in search of them, refraining from conversation as she needed to focus. A number of the red dots disappeared, and grouped at a location where they slowly became undetectable by Cerebro.

"What's going on?" He turned to Jean after she shut off the mechanism

"I'm not sure, but we have to tell Logan. Fast" She explained

"Logan isn't the only leader this team has had Jean. We can make our own decisions, and I say we go and find where that place is" He left the room, followed by Jean, to ask the others to suit up.

* * *

"Remy, I said no!" Rogue once again rejected the Cajun

"Please Chère, Remy only wants to-" He cut himself off at hearing suspicious footsteps approaching them. Quickly his gloved hand covered Rogue's mouth as he held her still by the shoulder.

Cyclops entered and looked them over before shaking the questions out of his head "We're leaving in for south state New York, suit up!" He left them, without another glance.

"Sorry Chère. He could have been someone else" He smiled over to her, his hand still on her face. He leaned and kissed where her lips would be if his hand wasn't there. "Next time, there better not be anything in between us Chère" He smirked and left the girl, with an astounded Tildie, alone before she followed to prepare for the mission.

* * *

"Wanda, what is wrong?" Kurt walked up to the girl that leaned against the balcony.

"Kurt, things won't ever be the same, will they?" Wanda asked the blue elf, while remaining in a form of deep thought.

"Maybe that is for the best" He placed a supporting hand on her shoulder

"I just want you to know, you're well, amazing" She smiled to him and he smiled back

"You are far more than I deserve" He commented causing her to turn away blushing. He turned her head back to him and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead "And far more amazing than anyone I have known... to be able to rule, and keep order in Genosha..." He noted down her successes

"Kurt, you helped me through that though. You helped me become stronger, through some sympathy and compassion... and, you told me you loved me" She finished, awkwardly admitting it to herself aloud.

"That I did Fräulein" He agreed to her admitted words at his earlier accomplishment, which took a lot out of him. Although he could not refrain of sharing the knowledge he had realized the moment he knew for himself that he loved the girl, and knew only in time would she ever reply.

"Kurt, I want you to know... you're the only man I've ever, I've never thought of another man, I don't know how to say it..."

"Wanda, do not rush yourself" He attempted to calm her down, are remove the force he believed was on her.

"But you are standing here, and all I can worry about is my father. He's living in a dump, and he is growing old once more. His age is an issue he cannot resolve by magnetism..." She went one before Kurt hugged her close

"It is ok to worry about your father. I do not love you any less because of it" He tried to calm the girl as her head spun over the many possible reasons her father would be living at Sinister's old lab. She didn't even know if her brother was with him or not, but she knew Pietro, and knew how far he would follow their father till.

"Kurt..." He looked down at her and she lent up to kiss him on the lips. "Thank you... for being here... while I go through this"

"It's my pleasure" He kept holding her without a word, just keeping himself available to talk to, until they had to return to their duties, which neither of them would neglect over personal matters at this time. A moment alone was far enough though, and more appreciated at these times.

* * *

"Lorna?" Bobby called to the girl. Followed by a shadow he did not notice. He made a turn and was attacked mysteriously.

"Yes Bobby?" the green haired girl responded and walked to where Bobby stood. "Is anything the matter?" She asked as he stood up from a crouch on the ground.

"Most definitely" He responded with a sadistic smile and shining blue eyes.

-To Be Continued-


	11. Love Can Hurt?

"This isn't you Bobby" Lorna pointed out as he now had a cameo-like choker around his neck and a strange feel to his presence, in addition to his suspicious actions.

"You're right." He smirked in success "This is" He slammed his lips onto the girl's in front of him and left her there to wonder as he took off towards the dungeon.

"Hey!" He tapped one of the mutant guards on the shoulder, and got a good punch at him when he turned his face. A second later he froze the rest over before releasing the captive mutants. "Blockbuster... Get up you worthless piece of shit" He looked down at the mutant on the floor.

"Took your time..." He looked up and studied the boy in front of him "An X-Man... Nice choice Malice" he struggled up and looked back at Archangel.

"Leave him" The possessed Bobby ordered. "He's no used to us like that" He pointed at his wings trapped within the solid metal. Blockbuster studied the unconsciously beaten Archangel and turned to pick up the green Dragon like mutant off the ground. He threw him over his shoulder and followed the blonde teen.

"What is this supposed to be?" The blonde looked down at the little purple Dragon that stood in their way, growling ferociously.

"Careful, he breathes fire Malice" Blockbuster warned, but the mutant merely kicked the Dragon out of its way and froze him to the wall.

"Let him get out of that" He smirked and continued on.

* * *

"Peter, we have to wait... Logan will be able to track them much better if he gets a good scent" Kitty explained to Peter once again as why he had to wait.

"I'm sorry" He apologized to the girl as he moved her to one side before leaving the X-Jet.

"Peter..." She studied him as he walked out. "No, you have to wait. Sinister, he's stronger than you. At least with Logan we might have a chance to get your sister back" She tried again

"Stop! You don't understand. Leave me be Kitty" He ordered as he began to walk on. She followed close by, making no attempts to speak. "Do not follow me" She ignored his request and walked on. He stopped and looked down contemplating his next choice of words. "I do not want any harm to come to you..." He spoke weakly and awaited her response.

"Tough" She responded, crossing her arms in front of her chest before continuing "I love you Peter." She waited for him, but he did nothing, and remained in his stance facing the direction he intended to walk. "I won't let you go alone, no matter what. Even if it means it's walking straight into a trap. If he wants you then he has to go through me too, one package deal..." she trailed off as she noticed him begin to move. He turned to her and looked at her with a gaze she's never seen Peter give before.

"I do not love you Kitty" He spoke harshly. "So do not follow me" He made a quick dash as he left the girl shocked at his words and tone.

* * *

"Are you sure this is wise Scott?" Storm asked as they each got into their own vehicle.

"It's our latest lead. We can't wait for Logan, it could be too late" He explained and got into the X-Van with Storm, Beast, and Jean, as Rogue went for the motorcycle, and Gambit jumped behind her for company.

"Remy will join you Chère" He said as he held her around the waist.

"Just don't fall off" She handed him a spare helmet and started the engine.

"Forge, keep an eye on Tildie" Jean instructed the mechanic before they left. Who responded with a salute and watched them leave the mansion.

* * *

"What's happening to me?" Illyana asked aloud. She tried to move her hands and legs, but realized she was held to a table. She moved her neck and saw a few medical computers surrounding her, also at looking down at herself noticed that she's not the little girl she was.

"You're being helped…" A purple haired mutant responded, with mechanical limbs. "Don't worry little girl." He looked her over and smiled at her melancholically expressed face "You've grown a lot since we collected you, so maybe I shouldn't be saying the little part" He joked harmlessly to calm her down

"Don't frighten the girl Arclight" A blonde woman stepped out from the shadows.

"Maybe you shouldn't be using your powers to fuck her up" Arclight argued back at the blonde

"Am I… a monster now?" Illyana asked, interrupting the two.

"No, that was an Illusion" Arclight explained as he looked her over. "You can thank Lady Mastermind for that" He pointed at the blonde woman

"One day, I'm wiping that mind of yours clear of the ability to talk" the blonde woman threatened Arclight and began to walk away. "And she was asking if she was a mutant you idiot… so is she?" She demanded for the answer and turned to him as he looked over the sample.

"I can't seem to find a mutant gene, but she has powers" He continued typing onto his computer, still baffled by the concept Sinister has debriefed them of.

"This little girl does seem to know 'things'. But she doesn't even realize it herself. A few more mental budging sessions might do that trick" Lady mastermind said as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation before placing them on the girl's head. Illyana struggled but Lady mastermind's hold kept her still enough to infiltrate mentally.

"Just don't budge anything that'll make her even older. Sinister wants her as young as possible" Arclight reminded the other mutant before he turned back to his work. "Some weird pedophilic need" he breathed out in disagreement.

* * *

"Jean I think I found Somethin'" Rogue thought out loud as she approached a warehouse where two identical men stood guard.

"Scott, Rogue seemed to have spotted Multiple-Man" Jean spoke and Scott made the turn.

"Remy will check the situation" Gambit got off the bike and started to walk towards the men.

"Wait, the others aren't here yet" She whispered as he continued walking

"Bonsoir Gentlemen. Care to pick a card" Gambit revealed a hand of cards and offered it for them to pick.

"Get lost David Blaine, I'm busy" they responded in unison

"How about you take all of them then" He charged up the hand and threw it at them. They exploded in front of the two just as the X-van drove to with Jean and Storm already out.

"X-Men!" Multiple-Man smiled before he duplicated a few more copies of himself. "And here I thought I was going to have a boring night" He smiled as over twenty of him stood to face them.

* * *

"Kitten" Logan nudged the girl awake. "Wake up, where's Peter?" He asked. She opened her eyes and saw Wolverine there. She stretched from her warm cuddled position on one of the chairs and looked at the darkness outside.

"Took your time" She turned to the Jet's watch and thought of the time difference

"It's hard flying a helicopter across an ocean" He stated as he watched her leave for the bathroom to wash her face.

"Peter's left. He went after his sister, and... Wow its cold" She shivered at the cold breeze that came from the open door.

"Let's go. We have to find him, fast" He walked out and she followed shortly after.

"It's just great being an X-Man" she commented sarcastically as she followed him out. "So fulfilling" She grabbed a jacket on her way out "and the drama never ends" she added as she took her steps on air, phasing through the falling snow, and hugging herself as they followed Colossus's path. "So, you got any scents?"

"The snow's making it hard. we'll have to go by air" Wolverine spoke as he took in a few more sniffs

"Any gas in the helicopter?" Kitty asked, knowing the X-Jet isn't a favourite to tracking down in small areas, and at Colossus's pace.

"Not enough" He responded with a shake of his head in disappointment

"Enough to, maybe, make it easy to cargo it into the X-Jet. Seeing our best luck now is going back ASAP and getting Jean to located Peter" Kitty thought of their next move without much trouble, having had the time to think through possibilities while waiting for Wolverine.

"You're probably right" Wolverine started to walk to the helicopter and Kitty took charge of opening the cargo's door.

* * *

"It's too much to carry Malice." Blockbuster pointed out; as he looked at the ocean view they had to cross. "You think you can switch bodies and make it by wing" He jerked a thumb at the still unconscious Sauron

"Or ditch you" a still possessed Bobby responded before thinking of their next move. "I'll just make us a path" And with that the teen built a bridge of ice from one end of Genosha to continue on their way back. "This boy has quite a few tricks up his sleeve" Malice complimented "Apart from all these hormones, I think I might keep him for a while."

"Just as long as I don't have to keep an eye on him when you decide to change bodies" Blockbuster admitted as he took a few steps on the ice. "Hey this is pretty good" he praised before he walked on.

"Told you, moron" Bobby ridiculed the much larger mutant

"Bitch" Blockbuster spat under his breath and continued on his way.

"Just stay close by" Bobby instructed as he took the opportunity to begin gliding across the ice, as Blockbuster slid along close by.

* * *

"Oh no" Kitty breathed out at the sight of damaged grounds, and a few walls of the institute. She continued studying the building in hopes of noticing some movement before they landed on the back lawn instead of the hanger. Kitty didn't wait, grabbing a hold of Wolverine; she phased the two of them to the ground and rushed into the institute.

"Beast. Storm. JEAN!" Wolverine called as they made their way deeper into the mansion.

"Forge!" Kitty called at the sight of the mutant struggling to get out from under a pile of rubble. She quickly rushed to his side and phased him out. "What happened?"

"Th-They took Tildie." He tried to speak, coughing with his words.

"Who took Tildie?" Wolverine demanded as he stood behind Kitty.

"Harpoon" he ended before he fainted into unconsciousness.

"Damn it!" Wolverine punched a wall.

"Where are the others?" Kitty asked as she helped move Forge's unconscious self onto a couch nearby.

"There not here" Wolverine snarled as he couldn't get a scent on them having been in this fight, but a few other scents were definitely with Harpoon.

* * *

"Thanks for the back-up" Multiple-Man said to Harpoon, Vertigo, and a few others as they towered over the X-men that laid on the ground defeated.

"You two, take the girl in before she wakes up." Harpoon instructed two of the mutants, one of which who already had been carrying Tildie on his back."What do we do with them Multiple?" He asked dumbfounded by their accomplishment.

"Take them in. Make sure they aren't able to use their powers." He looked down at them once more and nudged Cyclops with his foot. "I'm sure Sinister will want to play with them." He smiled sadistically at their victory.

"What about him?" Harpoon pointed at the still standing Gambit.

"He had a sudden change of heart" Multiple-Man smiled at recalling his abrupt change of sides half way into the fight.

"He did take out the telepath from behind" Harpoon recalled, thinking of how Gambit looked at him straight in the face with a hand full of explosive cards, but turned and directly shot them over at Jean, knocking her out. "But why?" He asked suspiciously.

"Let's just say that Remy wants to be on the winning team" Gambit answered as he played with his cards, looking down at a very knocked out Rogue.

"Who's Remy?" Harpoon asked Multiple-Man in a whisper.

"Him you Idiot" He nudged him in the stomach before they noted the presence of an even greater evil.

"You've chosen well Gambit" Sinister placed a supporting hand on his shoulder "Harpoon. Make sure the X-Men are located in a favourable prison cell" He grinned callously at the sight of their victory.

"Looks like we missed one party" Bobby, carried by Sauron, landed in front of Gambit and Sinister.

"Where's Blockbuster? Did you leave him in Genosha, Malice... cause if you did" Harpoon threatened by grabbing hold of the Blonde teen.

"Relax numbskull..." Just as Bobby got himself out of Harpoon's hold a few cars flew in the air as Blockbuster made his grand entrance.

"Who's this?" Multiple-Man surrounded the newcomer.

"Sauron" The green Dragon man responded as he stood strong. Vertigo traced her finger across his beak and smiled.

"Green Dragons, X-men, and whatever that blonde girl is... plans going alright for once" Vertigo admitted as she walked into the warehouse with Sauron close behind, followed by a few other mutants, each having picked up their own X-Man to carry in. At entrance it was far more complex than the outer perimeter perceived it to be, and much busier as mutants stood on elevating platforms on the ground which either ascended or descended them to different levels and sectors.

Sinister remained standing outside and laughed successfully to himself.

"There are still a few more" a voice came from the shadows behind him.

"Don't worry my liege" Sinister began to walk into the complex before continuing "Wolverine is as frightful as a kitten"

* * *

"Shit!" Kitty cursed as she continued punching a wall.

"Calm down Kitty" Wolverine ordered as he attempted to contact Genosha

"I. Can't. Calm. Down." She punched at each word "Mansion's. Fucked. Peter's. Gone. And. Genosha. Won't. Pick. Up-" She phased through her last punch at loss of concentration as her mind wandered through the endless list of bad that's been happening.

"Kurt!" Wolverine stood up as he got a picture on the screen.

"Logan. The prisoners escaped" Kurt reported professionally

"What?!" Kitty ran to stand by Logan facing the screen.

"That's not our biggest concern." Kurt looked away ashamed before finishing "Bobby helped them"

"No" Kitty gasped as she covered her mouth and looked away "That can't be true... what if it's that psycho that transforms to people" She denied Kurt's words

"We cannot find Bobby, and their means of escape was through his use of powers. We found traces of a bridge of ice that has been headed towards the main land." Kurt stated the facts, but Kitty shook her head in denial.

"Anything else?" Wolverine asked to request a change of topic.

"Archangel was left behind, and is unaware of the escape" Kurt responded.

"Keep it that way." Wolverine stood up to leave.

"What are you planning Logan?" Kurt asked before he was out the door

"I need to see what the professor knows." He exited the room.

"Kitty" Lorna now spoke. "It wasn't Bobby. He wasn't himself" Lorna defended the blonde

"Sinister could have gotten to him" Kitty thought aloud before shaking her head. "Kurt. I should sign off. I have to go check on Forge." She reached for the off button and the screen went black.

-To Be Continued-


	12. Bitch Bitch Bitch!

"John..." Lorna called as she turned around unfamiliar corners in a dark abandoned looking building. She followed the music and turned to find a redheaded boy with a blonde and a few other mutants playing cards, eating, and talking amongst themselves, while listening to music from portable speakers.

"Check it John" The blonde pointed at Lorna and the redheaded boy turned and grinned at the sight of the girl standing at the entrance.

"G'day Lorna. Haven't seen you 'round these parts since the X-Men came." He got up to great the girl and took her hand to kiss. "Anything I can do for you Princess?" He offered her a seat.

"Pyro. I need your help." She didn't have time to waste with formalities, and he took that from her serious yet frightened expression.

"Boom Boom" He called out at the girl behind him. "I'll be away for a while. Think you can handle things here"

"Sure thing" She responded with a wink and turned over to the rest of the mutants. "Guys" She called to the rests' attention, and in response one reached to switch off the music "Break-time's over. We gotta finish rebuilding this end" She ordered and walked out with the rest following close behind.

"Where we headed to then?" Pyro asked Lorna as the room emptied out.

"New York. The X-Men's institute" She answered simply

"Great. Let me go get my costume and we'll be on our way kid" He spoke anxiously.

* * *

"Chuck. You there?" Wolverine called out at entering the professor's chamber.

"Logan, what's happening? Things are developing for the worse" The professor admitted

"Kitty was right, something's aren't meant to be messed with" Logan looked away. "Anything to advise us with here Charles? We're not doing so well"

"Don't let them control you" the professor suggested.

"I'm not that easy to capture Chuck" Wolverine bragged

"Capture is the least of your worries. A mutant, with a possessive ability is of Sinister's favourite forces, and what you're thinking of might make you an easy target" the professor warned

"Anybody else?" Logan looked at the professor for anything he could use in their upcoming confrontation.

"Just a telepath. She goes by the name Lady Mastermind. She's quite strong, possibly an Omega level, and your best chance against her would be-"

"Jean." Wolverine finished the professor's sentence before he considered their next plausible move.

* * *

"Kurt, are you sure you don't want anyone." Wanda followed Kurt as he walked towards the edge of furthest ground on Genosha to teleport his way back to Salem's centre, attempting to convince him of choosing his next plan of action wisely, and accept help. "At least let me come with you" She spoke again and in response he stopped in his tracks.

"It's hard to choose from an island of mutant's with a lack of fighting experience. And if anything happens, Wanda... I want you to keep them safe, because you will be our last resort" He turned to her and held her hands. He looked deeply at her and soon beyond her as he noticed the two approaching them.

"Lorna?" Kurt called.

"Wanda" Wanda, irritated, corrected him.

"No..." He pointed for her to look behind.

"Lorna, John. Where do you think you're going?" She asked in surprise.

"To help the X-Men. You said it yourself. If they needed us, then we'll stand by their side in the fight." Lorna explained simply, as her serious self took over.

"I cannot teleport us all there Lorna" Kurt responded.

"Who said we are going with you?" Lorna broke Kurt's line of thinking. "You might want to come with US instead." She stated as she formed a platform of metal underneath herself and Pyro. "And It's Polaris" She added before she lifted herself and John. "Are you coming?" She looked at the blue baffled mutant.

"Wanda... Take care of yourself, and of Genosha." Kurt kissed Wanda on the cheek. She in turn kissed him on the lips and smiled.

"Be careful Kurt" She said as he let go of her hand, taking his step onto the platform. Lorna didn't wait anymore before she made her way to the Institute.

* * *

"This is just troublesome" The blonde woman admitted. "She has too many little closets to open up in her mind"

"Um. Lady Mastermind. Ma'am" Illyana interrupted the woman's thoughts. "Can I go to the bathroom?" She asked politely, unaware of how dangerous her situation is, and knowing fairly well that she's incapable of doing anything about it.

"You're kidding" Arclight responded. "Have you never been captured?" he earned a shove in the side by Lady Mastermind.

"Bitch. Bitch. Bitch!" He cursed at her in a whisper as he rubbed his side.

"I'll take her. The thought of wanting to pee is not something I need in my head while going through hers" The blonde explained as she pressed a button on the side which released the blonde girl.

"Thank you" the girl politely replied as she rubbed her wrists.

"Come on, it's just at the corner of the room" She pointed to the door that swished open at their approach. "There's a lock on the inside, so it won't open while you're in there" The blonde woman smiled and the girl entered happily.

At that Lady Mastermind returned to the reality that was Illyana captured, and unconscious. And in a few second the girl had wet herself on the lab table, and Arclight responded with a disgusted facial expression to the smell.

"Clean that up" the woman pointed "and it wouldn't hurt to change her clothes. She keeps thinking about how tight they are" She ordered before she left from the stink. "She'll be out for an hour"

"Regan, you're such a bitch" He called at the blonde before she left. He turned and picked up a phone to call for mutants more aware of sanitation, and clothing.

* * *

"Kitty" Forge looked at the brunette resting her head on her knees in front of him. She woke up and the realization on who called her hit her.

"Forge, you're alive!" She hugged the man and he winced in pain. "Sorry." She let go of him and stood up, stretching her body.

"What happen- TILDIE!" His thought process caught up with him.

"She's gone" Kitty looked away sadden

"What about the X-Men. They left to face Sinister in the X-Van. Or was it his groupies" Forge tried to remember Scott's exact words.

"That's where they went to!" Kitty quickly went to the computer to track the X-Vehicles. "We're not getting any answers, but if I can get a reading on the X-Van..." she trailed on before the tracking system negated the request, leaving her yet again hopeless.

"What about Wolverine's bike. Does that have a tracker on it?" Forge asked as he got on his feet to help Kitty on her search.

"Yeah" Wolverine answered. "Me" he pointed at himself. A familiar sound caused all then to turn to their expected friend's teleportation into the room.

"Took your time elf" Wolverine spoke but as the smoke lifted saw two others.

"Lorna, what are you doing here?" Kitty asked unfamiliar with the idea of Lorna, fighting.

"I can to help, and brought..." She stopped when she realized the redheaded boy went ahead with introducing himself by taking the brunette's hand and kissing it as he does.

"Hello. I'm Pyro, but you can call me John" he looked up at the girl and winked to her playfully. She retracted her hand in disgust and looked over to Kurt.

"Are you ready then?" She asked in desperation to get out of the conversation with Pyro.

* * *

"What's wrong Regan?" Bobby approached the woman. "Too much to think about" They walked along side down a hall.

"Shut up Malice. I just hate the idea that little girl has powers without being a mutant" She admitted

"Then you'll love this. Sinister's new obsession is a girl who absorbs everyone else's powers and memories, ideas, the whole thing." Bobby explained with a mischievous smile. "Wanna mess with her powerless?"

"No thank you" The woman excused herself as she continued on her way at a faster pace.

"Hey, well we got a bunch of X-Men powered out." Bobby continued explaining "You can have your pick" he called out before forgetting the blonde woman and took off elsewhere. "Let's see the limit of your powers" he spoke aloud to himself and went into an empty room. He went into his Ice form, and then forced ice out of him in every direction and continued experimenting.

* * *

"Bobby" Lorna said out in a chill as she sat in the refuelled X-Helicopter. Kitty flew it, following Wolverine who made his way on foot, sniffing at every corner, before recognising the damage done to a few cars.

"Shadowcat" he called to the girl through the communicator

"I see it. It goes on in a straight line to some abandoned area" she responded as she studied the trail. She looked back at Nightcrawler who nodded and ported to pick up Wolverine.

"Let's go" Wolverine commanded at his return with Kurt. The helicopter now flew at full speed.

* * *

"Sinister?" Regan entered her master's chamber. She bowed on one knee in front of him sitting in his chair, before speaking.

"Lady Mastermind" He responded, permitting her to speak.

"The girl is far more complex. The mere changes I'm doing are not making any effects. At this rate it will take much longer than planned, and if I go any faster, I would be endangering her control and-"

"Silence." He interrupted the woman's explanation "I will not wait on insolent matters. Do your task as you were told Lady Mastermind" He dismissed her and with that she stood up and left without attempting at an argument.

* * *

"What's happened? Hank?" Cyclops awakened to the sight of a man leaning over him.

"Yes, but in not my most common form." He admitted as he sat away from Cyclops to give him space to sit up. Scott rubbed his head as he took in their surrounds of a prison cell. "Seems like these leave us powerless" Beast interrupted and pointed at the metal band around his neck.

"I have one too" Cyclops stated as he rubbed his neck to check.

"Scott!" Jean called from the cell across from them

"Jean!" Cyclops walked to the bars to reach for the redhead girl, but was shocked back to the ground.

"The bars are electrocuted" Beast warned.

"You think you could have told me before I attempted to reach for my girlfriend" Scott rubbed his hands from the pain.

"Actually, I merely should have said that we are too far for you to reach her in our current entrapment" He joked, but earned himself a few enraged looks from Jean and Scott.

"Scott, they took Rogue. I woke up just as they were taking her away" Jean explained. "And Ororo is still knocked out" She looked over to the woman on the floor. "Where's Remy?"

"He decided to take on Sinister's side of things" Scott admitted as he recalled the memory of Gambit taking out Jean, just as Beast was pounded by a shot from Harpoon.

"So what do we do now?" Jean asked helplessly, sitting with her back to the wall. The silence of her mind felt lonesome to her.

"I don't know" Scott leaned against the wall and slid down to a seating position similar to, and across from, Jean's.

* * *

"Arclight?" Regan entered the room "How is she?" She asked as she approached the girl on the table, who's now wearing a medical outfit of scrub shorts and shirt.

"She's done pissing herself. Literarily, thanks to you" He responded sarcastically.

"Shut up. Tell me if she's been doing anything different" She demanded her exact answer.

"Brainwaves only indicate on a possibility of a nightmare" He explained and then looked over other monitors. "But apart from that, nothing"

"Let me see" The blonde placed her hand on the girl's forehead and studied the situation going on in her mind. She didn't last long before she retracted her telepathic connection from Illyana's mind. "She's fighting demons, from a different dimension"

"Such an imaginative one isn't she" Arclight responded to how silly the concept of demons was

"Maybe" Regan took the ideas seriously at how Illyana fought with magic, mystical swords, and alongside X-Men she knew familiar.

* * *

"Land there." Wolverine pointed at an empty roof "We go the rest by foot." He instructed before turning to give his speech. "We aren't facing any easy foe. Sinister is as tough as they come, but today we are going in for our friends. This is nothing more than a rescue mission, so no heroics. Those who seem to have been controlled by Sinister forget them-"

"But Bobby" Lorna cut Wolverine's speech and earned herself a stern glare from him. Kitty closed her eyes at the thought of having to face her best friend, and bit her tongue from arguing.

"Forget them." He ordered sternly. "Shadowcat, you're going to have to phase me and Nightcrawler in." Wolverine ordered the brunette after she had finished landing. "Polaris, you and Pyro here will take the offensive approach, but don't set off any alarms. Feel free to take apart or melt down anything that Sinister might think of as precious." He finished before looking at everyone in concern.

"This is it..." Kitty added as they looked over each other with deep thoughts. "Ready?" She turned to Kurt who smiled to her reassuringly.

-To Be Continued-


	13. Hot Fire, Cold Ice

A metal bar swung at one of the guards. The other guard noticed, but just as he turned his head to look at his fallen comrade another metal object knocked him out as well, rendering them both unconscious. The two responsible for this dragged the guards away and tied them up, completing phase one of the plan. Shadowcat, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler took this opportunity to phase through the side wall and into the complex.

"Woah" Kitty admired the sight.

"Come on" Wolverine proceeded and the two followed. They turned and looked over to see a few mutants coming their way. Wolverine grabbed one that was behind and Kitty quickly phased them to the empty room below. "Talk" Wolverine didn't wait, already threatening the mutant with his claws.

* * *

"The cells are on the sub basement levels. Shadowcat and Nightcrawler are going down there. Meet me at the lower western vicinity in ten minutes" Wolverine ordered the two waiting outside through their communicators.

"Roger that" Pyro responded and turned to Polaris. "You heard the man" He grinned in excitement as Polaris ripped a window frame from the side of the wall and levitated herself and Pyro into the building.

* * *

"Is something wrong?" Illyana asked as a bleeping sound appeared on a computer near Arclight.

"We have a few visitors. Regan?" Arclight turned to the blonde that was working on the young Russian girl.

"They'll be able to deal with them" She responded without removing her focus from the girl she was tampering with "Besides, this gives a chance for Mister Sinister to test our newest recruit's loyalties" She smiled at the thought

* * *

"This way" Kitty ran ahead and bumped into a large metal man.

"Mein Gott" Kurt gasped at the sight of their former friend.

"No... Peter" Kitty reached for her mouth, taken aback by the sight of the modified mutant standing in front of her.

"You are not welcome here!" The Russian man ordered, reaching his arms back, preparing to hit the ground in front of him with his fists. Kurt was able to overcome the daze this sight brought upon him, in time and grabbed Kitty to teleport them to the furthest end of the hall. He didn't wait for Colossus to respond to his actions before he jolted, pulling Kitty along, down a few more corridors.

"Shadowcat, we have a mission" Kurt reminded the girl, who was still in a bewilder state from the idea she was almost squashed by her former boyfriend.

* * *

Polaris and Pyro ran to where they were to meet Wolverine. Mutants flew across the space in front of them and some hit the wall across before they were able to reach the next turn. A few mutants backed into the area across from the offense team, which was completed as Wolverine jumped out and attacked the rest who stood in their way. "Let's go" He heaved before he slashed at the floor to make way to the lower level. They jumped through and saw a familiar teen leaning against the wall in front of them.

"You didn't get enough of me yet love?" He grinned at the green haired girl.

"Get out of our way Bobby" Wolverine marched on. The boy grinned and in a second made a thick ice wall behind him.

"I can't allow that. You see, Sinister will get mad, and I don't want Sinister mad" He admitted before freezing the other end, trapping himself with three mutants.

"Bobby, why are you doing this?" Polaris asked, confused by his actions

"It ain't Bobby" Wolverine explained "Who are you?!" He demanded the answer by grabbing Bobby and shoving him against a wall.

"It?... why, isn't that harsh. I'm still a mutant after all, since when have we been 'it's?" He responded sardonically .

Wolverine took a punch at the teen, but withdrew his claws before impact. The blonde fell to the floor with an echoed thud. He started getting up, and laughed maniacally while looking back at the man who knocked him down, and wiping blood that seeped out of his mouth.

"That's all you got? I didn't feel a thing. Then again... I'm stronger than Bobby" The mutant stood strong and shot out ice from every inch of his body.

Pyro immediately started his fire and opposed the attack. He manipulated the flame to surround Bobby in a sphere of fire to entrap the ice, and hopefully dry out the air around the blonde. "Go" He looked over at Wolverine who took off at the mark towards the melting ice wall and slashed through.

"Pathetic" Bobby muttered from within the fire and put out the flame around him.

"We're just starting mate" Pyro grinned as he readied for the next round, protectively standing in front of Polaris.

"You moved on to an Aussie that fast. And I thought you liked my kiss babe" Bobby winked over to the green haired girl

"Bobby-" she tried to reach out to him again

"That's just wrong." The blonde stopped the girl and stuck out his tongue in disgust "It's Malice. Bobby isn't Bobby anymore" Iceman grinned manically.

"That's all I needed to know" Pyro interceded by commencing with an attack.

* * *

A bomb went off and smoke appeared. Jean, Storm, Beast and Cyclops tried to look at the source and saw the guards being taken out by their former friend.

"Bonjour mon ami" Gambit greeted with a friendly salute.

"You BASTARD!" Cyclops yelled at the man.

"Please, Gambit only did what he did to help with your escape later" Gambit explained the intentions of his previous actions.

"You are So off the team" Scott pointed at the Cajun accusingly

"Scott" Beast turned to the angered man "This is not the time. Let's get out first." He looked back at Gambit who walked over to help the girl's out of their cell. With a tap he charged the controls outside and it went off.

"Where's Rogue?" He asked as he walked back to the cell with the now calm Cyclops and charged their cell's controls.

"They took her away" Jean exclaimed. Gambit's facial expression showed his exasperated state but refrained from giving in to the sudden rush of anger.

"Um... Gambit?" Beast drew the Cajun's attention back to their current situation and pointed at his neck band.

"Right, Let's see" Gambit studied it "Should it go boom?" He asked the scientist

"That won't be necessary." Kitty phased herself and Kurt into the room. Without another word she began to phase the band off Beast, returning him to his blue furry self. "No boom, no mess" She attempted to joke, but the tone left her. She continued doing her task with all other X-Men.

"Where's Rogue and Tildie?" Kitty asked as she reached Jean to phase the band off her

"Tildie was meant to be in the Mansion... oh no" She responded in shock at the thought and Kitty's that came to mind as her powers returned, but quickly regained herself to continue explaining. "They took Rogue, but we haven't even seen Tildie"

"That's not good..." Kitty thought of Colossus and how they made him into whatever he was now. "We have to get to them before their changed" Kitty rushed but Gambit held her back.

"That won't be a problem. Gambit made the machine go boom when Sinister tried to change him petite" he spoke of himself and his accomplishment, and blew at his index finger which he held up like a gun, but got his hand slapped away before Kitty lashed out.

"You IDIOT! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TURN THEM BACK! Bobby... Colossus is NOW ONE OF THEM!" Kitty yelled before she rushed off to where they were.

"Shadowcat!" Kurt called to her but was ignored as she made her way back to where they faced Colossus.

* * *

"So they go to you too Petey" Wolverine clenched his fists tighter, preparing to attack his former friend.

"You are foolish to think you are able to fight me" Colossus attacked

* * *

"This is troublesome" Regan said aloud before leaving the room annoyed.

"Something's wrong" Illyana exclaimed before she began to struggle off the table. "Let me go"

"You really have no clue about what being captured really is, do you? Don't you watch movies?" Arclight asked annoyed at how the girl was acting.

"Let me go! I HAVE TO GET OUT!" she started to thrash and attempted to rip out of the table's shackles.

"Stop it! You're interfering with the reading..." He approached her to make her stop, but without notice she turned and spat in his face as rage covered her expression "I liked you better when you were calm and polite" He wiped off the spit off his cheek and turn to the computer. "I didn't want to do this... I did, but the reason you give me now is just so typical" with a press of a button he shot electricity through the girl that made her scream in pain.

* * *

"Wolverine?" Kitty looked down at the man who had just been thrown at a wall, and was regaining himself to attack.

"Stay back Kitten, I can handle this" He Went back to the fight, and Kitty watched as Logan was attempting to shred Colossus to pieces, but was fairly matched by the metal man.

"Peter!" Kitty yelled at the man who got a kick at Wolverine. He turned to respond but was knocked down by Logan and held at claw point.

"Yield!" Wolverine order and the metal man return to his human form, however still remained different to his normal self, his skin being a shade greener surprisingly, and his eyes much darker.

"They got Rogue and Tildie somewhere else. No word from Pyro, and Peter is..." Kitty reported and studied the man who remained in anger under wolverine's claws.

"It's alright. I have her scent and-" Wolverine withdrew his claws and held onto his head in pain. Kitty looked at him confused before she herself was overcome by a similar pain and fell to her knees while pressing on the sides of her head desperately to overcome the headache.

"Sinister is disappointed Colossus." Regan appeared and lowered her hand from her previous attack. Colossus stood and returned to metal form

"I know the extent of their knowledge" Colossus reported.

"So do I. It's called mind reading, keep up" Regan replied annoyed and turned quickly at a patch in a wall that cracked and a Red head was kicked through into the hall they were in.

"That's 6 halls Aussie. Want to go for another" Iceman smiled at the fallen Pyro. "Hey" He looked over at the blonde woman and studied the situation. "You have a few of them here too?"

"John!" Polaris ran past Bobby and helped the red head up.

"I'm still good for another-" He couldn't finish his sentence before the exhaustion hit.

"Weak!" Malice pointed down at the red head and mocked.

"He might be" Polaris responded, as rage filled her eyes before she stretched her arms. "But I'm more than you can handle!" She forced a magnetic field around her and pushed all standing mutants opposing her down. She hurriedly lifted Colossus and hit Bobby before he regained himself so that he smashed through a few walls as being crushed by Colossus.

"I can't..." Regan spoke as she attempted to access the green haired girl's mind. She merely looked over to the blonde woman, with glowing eyes and smiled as she tapped at a green helmet similar to her father's.

"I learned from the best" She responded, but before she could attack the blonde ran away.

"W-what?" Kitty struggled up and shook her head awake, looking up at the levitating Lorna. "Polaris?"

"Lorna!" Kurt called as he ran towards them with the x-men close behind.

"Finally, we are about to have company" Wolverine got up and stretched his arms preparing for the second wave of Sinister's henchmen. A few seconds passed before mutants stormed in from Multi-Man to Harpoon to Sauron.

"Let's do this" Cyclops reached for his visor and shot out a red beam of energy from his eyes.

-To Be Continued-


	14. The Battle's Done The War's Unconcluded

"What!" Sinister yelled annoyed as Regan ran into his chambers while he studied an unconscious Rogue that laid on a medical table, lit by the overhead lights that left the rest of the room dark to plain eyes.

"You need to tell your troops to get off their lazy asses to fight the x-men!" She failed in controlling her sarcasm, and regretfully bowed as she noted her master's glance from over his shoulder.

"And you're to tell me you couldn't handle a couple of pathetic mutants" He glanced back at her again before returning to Rogue.

"They reached the prisoners. Their more than a couple, sir" She walked towards Sinister and reached for him to listen but he turned at her angered and inflicted a blow that caused her to fall back onto the floor.

"How dare you approach me with such nonsense..." He yelled as he towered over the blonde. He heard a crash and turned back to Rogue, drugging her before he left the room, closely followed by Lady Mastermind

* * *

"Storm!" Cyclops called out to the African goddess whom formed a whirlwind trapping a number of copies of multiple-man in a swirl.

"This is NOT good" Kitty complained from a previous attack that Sauron was able to exact during her tangible state, which led to her against a wall and cornered as the Green dragon man approached to attack.

"Ahh" He fell to one knee as a triumphant purple dragon remained in mid air behind him.

"Lockheed!" Kitty hugged her Dragon friend, uninterested with how he got there, just thankful that he was.

"I can breathe fire too" Sauron grinned as he collected a fire ball in his mouth to shoot at Kitty.

"Good thing I can control it then" Pyro smiled and made the ball turn back and hit Sauron, forcing him back against a wall, before he finally collapse. John walked over to study, and mock; the fallen green dragon man, and was suddenly hugged by Kitty. Only to realise a VERY large charged harpoon was shot at them from Harpoon.

"Don't get cocky" She recited as Wolverine would before letting go after phasing them through Harpoon's attack.

"A 'thank you' would be nice too" He complained, still drained from his earlier encounter with Malice.

* * *

"Small Man" Blockbuster mocked Wolverine as he grabbed him and swung him around.

"I've fought bigger guys than you, Bub" Wolverine admitted as a matter of fact in recollection of his many brawls with The Hulk and took a stab at Blockbuster's arm.

"You bastard!" Blockbuster flung the smaller mutant away. Wolverine merely used the momentum to his advantage as he landed against the wall on his feet to launch himself back into action.

"Get off!" Jean used a psychic blow to push off a few Multiple-Man copies away from her as Gambit dealt with a few other mutants, swiftly targeted with his cards.

"This is quite fascinating" Beast hit two multiple-man copies together and made a few more, and hit them against each other to make another couple more.

"Yeah that's great, now would you stop... or we'll be fighting an army" Cyclops beamed off a few more mutants away as explosions went off left, right, and centre.

* * *

"Get. Out. Of. Bobby's. Body. Now!" Polaris called out each word after each time she made Colossus collide against Bobby.

"You're only hurting him" Malice explained, but still got shoved to a wall by Colossus's weight. "Hey, anytime, you want to go non-metal, would be great!" She spoke to the man used to squish her against a wall.

"Da" he turned to his human form and Iceman ran towards Polaris prepared to attack.

* * *

Cyclop's beam broke through the ceiling, forcing a few mutants up on the upper levels. He turned and blasted Blockbuster away from Wolverine, and forced him onto the upper level along with the rest. Rubble began to crash down, interfering with Polaris and Malice's fight, but as the opportunity presented itself the rest of the mutants began to rise onto the upper level, with Malice using Bobby's ice power to bridge her up, and Polaris lifting her metal weights on her clothes, it wasn't long till their fight ensued once again.

"I'll go get Rogue, the rest of you get out" Wolverine commanded as he ran in a direction, fully prepared to slice and dice his way through. Gambit ran beside him. Smiled over mischievously with a salute

"You're not going alone Mon ami" He said in a matter of fact

"Fools!" Sinister announced from a higher platform, stopping all in their tracks. Wolverine turned at catching Rogue's scent from his direction and jumped up onto a higher platform to get just a bit closer to Sinister. Sinister looked down and grinned sardonically at Logan's irritated face, and snapped his fingers to signal more of his followers to appear to fight. Wolverine in turn revealed the grin on his face.

"You're not the only one with tricks, we've been getting ready for this" With that, a crash was heard from within the complex and one side of the wall was smashed through by a very large Red energy monster.

"Tildie?!" Kitty surprised to see the little girl she once babysat fighting in control, as her nightmare monster self was also shrinking as she reached them, returning to her normal self with an unconscious Rogue leaning on top of the little girl who struggled to get her off carefully to lay on the ground.

"Rogue!" Gambit was first to notice the little girl had Rogue. He began to run to her but a large man hit him to one side.

* * *

"Peter..." Kitty struggled as she walked towards Colossus, who turned to her after his attack, returning to his metallic form to fight, thankfully not having been so when he knocked down Gambit. "You have to snap out of it..." She kept walking towards him, but stopped as he pulled his hand back to attack. "No Peter..." She spoke weakly but he didn't listen as he punched through her intangible state. He looked down and Kitty approached him, placing a hand on his arm. "I know you won't hurt me Peter..." She admitted, but before she could muster another thought he drew his other hand back and attempted again, however Nightcrawler took his chance at teleporting himself to grab kitty quick enough and teleported them both far away.

"He's not himself Kitty..." Kurt admitted sadly, holding onto her shoulders in attempts to make her understand.

"I know... He's not" her head jolted up with realization "... Or he would have found his sister by now" she ran out of Kurt's grasp and phased herself further into the complex.

* * *

"Bitch!" Malice called out at Polaris who was able to hit her straight in the face with a metal tray. At her next attempt Polaris missed as Malice ducked and attempted to get closer. Lorna didn't hesitate to proceed and landed a punch

"How dare you take control of Bobby's body!" She forgot her powers, and was in hands on mode as she punched and grabbed, knowing full well that Bobby was most likely physically stronger, but the girl controlling him was nothing more than an entity in him, and she wasn't going to be physically beaten by someone that isn't even physically present.

"You didn't mind when I kissed you with it" Malice mocked after a punch that caused Bobby's mouth to fill with blood. She spat out to the floor unattractively and Lorna was quickly disgusted, at the comment and the sight.

"UGH!" Polaris practically screamed as she went back to attacking as hard as she could.

* * *

"Sorry. Coming through. Excuse me" Kitty phased through more of Sinister's minions as she passed through rooms and rooms before finally stopping and phasing to a lower level. "I know if I follow these leads I'd get somewhere" She made another turn into a wall, and popped out another where she looked over to the wall across covered with multiple electrical leads that branched out everywhere. "Oh fuck" she admitted as she contemplated on which to follow. "Damn" she turned to the feel of the ground shaking and the sounds of rumbling from above. "I gotta hurry" She didn't wait and ran on in a straight line.

"STOP!" She heard a scream to her right and ran towards it.

* * *

"Oh, you should know I won't give in to your needs as naughtily as Lady Mastermind" Arclight increased the electrical intensity and laughed maniacally to himself.

"She said STOP!" Kitty phased through the wall next to him and landed a punch on his face causing him to fall to the ground. She looked over and saw a familiar blonde.

"Kitty?" The blonde asked weakly as she struggled to open her eyes as she focused on blocking out the electrical pain.

"Illyana? Don't worry I'll get you out of there" Kitty quickly turned to the control panel and phased through to disrupt the circuitry. She turned and saw the girl fall limp as the surges stopped. "Come on" Kitty phased her out of her bindings and let her lean against her. She helped her put an arm over her shoulders, as she held her close with an arm around her waist.

* * *

Bobby was sent flying and landed painfully. Polaris stormed up to the mutant and grabbed him up by his hair. "I said, GET OUT OF HIS BODY!" she reached to grab hold of the choker around his neck. Suddenly a surge of blue light emerged from the two, and Polaris screamed in pain as her powers seemed to slip out of her grasp. A few metal objects around them started to float and all looked over to them.

"Lorna!" John tried to run up to the green hair girl, but a magnetic force field pushed him back as the light seemed to explode causing metals around them to be shot out away from the two mutants field. Bobby fell limply to the floor as Lorna's external glow settled to reveal her now blue eyes that seem electrically lit.

"No!" Lorna's voice echoed along with another. She studied herself then grabbed her head "Get out!" she screamed before she began to float and finally blasted out of the room to escape and into the dawning sky.

"LORNA!" John called out as his anger reached its maximum level. Wolverine noticed this just as he noted Kitty remerging from the floor with a blonde at hand.

"John, we need to go" Wolverine tried to communicate to the redhead who was prepared to take their fight to the next level.

* * *

"Sinister. The fight. We're losing." Regan stated the obvious as Sinister looked down at the battle.

"You let her escape" He spoke as he saw Kitty helping the blonde girl. "You let them all escape!" He grabbed Regan from her throat and held her out to drop her to the levels below.

"Sir..." she struggled in talking "Don't" she pleaded but he merely smirked and dropped her, enjoying her screams

* * *

"What the..." Bobby rubbed his head in pain as he heard the screaming, and a falling blonde. Without another thought he ice bridged his way to her. "OUF" he caught her swiftly with his arms now securely around the older, and less dressed blonde woman.

"Malice?"

"Bobby... and you are?" he smirked knowing he was holding onto an older blonde who didn't seem to favour fabric to conceal herself.

"Right" She waited till he reached the ground and began to walk away.

"Bobby!" Kitty called from behind the blonde. He turned and saw Kitty helping another blonde girl.

"Kitty?" He took a good study of his surroundings and went to help his friend.

"We gotta get her out of here" Kitty quickly explained and he nodded as he carried Illyana over his shoulder, and waited for Kitty to grab hold of him before he formed his ice bridge.

* * *

"Jean, Beast. Get Rogue and Gambit. Tildie follow Storm" Wolverine ordered as he and John fought back mutants as the group retreated.

"We should take him out now Logan, We have the upper hand" Cyclops protested

"With more than two down, I'm not risking it" Wolverine yelled back

Just as Wolverine turned he felt something tug at his collar. "Not so fast Logan" Colossus grabbed the mutant's neck to snap.

"Don't do this Pete" Wolverine requested as he refrained from injuring his friend by piercing through his metal form with his adamantium claws.

"I want to see the limit of your healing power" He smirked as he began to twist. Wolverine grunted at the pressure that didn't last when Colossus fell unconscious, as behind him stood a not so proud Shadowcat.

"What's the nervous system but another circuit" She admitted as Lockheed flew behind her and Iceman ran towards the rest of the team with Illyana over arm. Kurt ported beside them and helped Bobby with the blonde girl as he ported to prepare the jet.

"Let's go" Wolverine spoke as he grabbed for John.

The X-men quickly evacuated, Pyro by force as Wolverine pulled him back out in midst of his fire attacks to keep back the mutants and let out whatever anger he still had over letting Lorna go.

* * *

"Kitty?" Illyana spoke as she regained her strength sitting next to Kitty on the Jet's floor as they left

"Hmm?" She turned to the blonde and smiled weakly.

"Where's Piotr?" she asked innocently.

"He's..." Kitty struggled

"Your brother isn't himself" Wolverine spoke harshly from behind the wheel and everyone fell silent at the losses they had incurred. Peter, Lorna, valuable members of their team.

"But we'll get him back" Kitty spoke in determination. "He only changed to help you; now that you don't need help... he should be fine." She evaluated

"That's not necessarily the case Pryde" Wolverine was stating the facts "Sinister has control on him, just like he has on angel"

"You're wrong" Kitty spoke under her breath loud enough to be heard. "Peter is not that easily changed" She defended

"He and Kitty should be happy together. I prayed to have a sister like Kitty... the Magic should come true" Illyana spoke

"Magic huh?" Bobby interrupted to entertain the ideas of the blonde girl.

"Yes" She lifted her hand and focused on her palm as lights began to show. "Magic"

"She's a mutant?!" Bobby spoke in shock as the rest though it.

"No, I'm not like my brother. This is magic... it was the only way to make Piotr go after Kitty, back to America, so that they could be together" The girl smiled innocently however a saddened expression came over kitty in realization which was recognised by a few others in the jet.

"Damn it mate, can't this thing fly any faster. We need Red over here to find Lorna" John spoke again, rushing Wolverine

"We're going to the mansion for a quick pick up. We can't stay there." Wolverine responded sternly.

"What?!" a few questioned his new line of action

"Sinister is not pleased about the fight's turn out. And a preemptive strike is a possibility, which we can't give him" Wolverine explained

"Where will we go then?" Storm asked.

"Genosha"

* * *

"Charles"

"Logan, what's happening, the future is shifting drastically"

"The last few hours haven't exactly been planned out with exact precision. We need to move you... Forge" Logan called for the expert

"Alright" He rolled up his sleeves to finish his work. "I can disconnect it from the main supply and connect it to another"

"How long?"

"A couple of hours."

"Professor?" Jean entered

"It's good to see you Jean and the rest of you" Xavier noted as the team entered one after the other.

"How's the future?" Bobby asked to lighten up the mood.

"That seems indefinite Robert" He responded. Kitty looked down before she could muster up her question

"Is Peter..."

"I have not come across our friend yet" He responded regretfully as the girl looked away

"Professor, what's Sinister's move now? Is he still collecting mutants?" Cyclops asked

"I remorsefully I have to say that due to your actions in the past the future's changing pattern has lost predictability, and a lot is still secretive" He responded

"Back to square one then" Hank inputted "Need a hand" He offered Forge his help as he reached for a wrench.

* * *

"Good morning Chère" Gambit smiled over to Rogue who began to regain consciousness

"What.. Ouh my head" She reached for her temple and rubbed it hard with her hand.

"Here..." Gambit reached to touch her. Her instinct didn't kick in until it was too late. She felt the skin contact just as she was about to protest. "Don't worry Chère. Seems as if your powers are off"

"My powers" She looked at her gloved hands and revealed one and touched Gambits face laying beside her. "They're not working"

"Gambit's sorry Chère" he admitted as he noticed the fear come across her face

"Why? This is great" she struggled to admit "I can touch" worry came across her just as Gambit reached over and held her close to him.

* * *

"Is the other guy still in charge then?" Wolverine asked

"Apocalypse, Yes. There also seems to be a few magical inputs to his defensive line, as from what the future x-men told me the fortress is guarded by far more than mere advance technological methods" He explained

"Illyana. But. No that's not possible. We saved her, how could he have..." Kitty spoke

"I fail to know at this point"

* * *

"You're Majesty" Sinister kneeled to a large ominous figure

"You failed me Nathaniel"

"I apologise"

"Useless apologies" The large Blue man studied a couple of vials of red substances in his palm "However, you have obtained enough data for us to continue. You may be excused". He held one of which in between his index finger and his thumb and looked through it, grinning sadistically with thought.

-To Be Continued-


	15. Limbo

"Nostalgic?"

"Just weird" Kitty hugged herself as she entered the room she became accustomed to during her stay in Genosha.

"Peter's going to be ok, and we'll find a way to bring him back, and everything will go back the way it was" Bobby hugged Kitty reassuringly; as he spoke the ideas she kept trying to convince herself.

"It won't" she ignored that little bit of hope and spoke the truth out loud, in attempts to convince herself "Peter never loved me, not really. The magic his sister used, just because she liked me... she influenced Peter" She thought about their time together. How he suddenly went from the protective brother to her love instantly at his return. To think that the distance alone made his heart want her in the way she dreamt of, yet it was too good to be true. "But you always liked me... as my friend..." Kitty turned to the blonde man and smiled up at him, keeping her arms around herself. "And more" she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

He smiled back at her, but shook his head out of any sly ideas. "So think you would care to fill me in on all the details I've missed out on since whatever it was took over" he rubbed the back of his head as he studied a corner of the ceiling

"I will. Later" she yawned "now, I just need a week's worth of sleeping in to get my system recharged" She walked through him and to the door to go to her room.

"Kitty" Bobby reached for her but his hand phased through.

She glanced at her shoulder with Bobby's hand poking through. "Sorry, too tired to focus" she admitted as he retreated from his reach "what was it?"

"Nothing, just... good night" He scratched his head and looked away once again, now merely from embarrassment of realizing he acted without much of a thought as to why.

"Good night Bobby"

* * *

"All done. To think we did all this in under 12 hours. Record time if I do say so myself" Forge looked over his work as he had made professor Xavier's health pod temporarily portable, and reattached it to a central system at Genosha all within the time Wolverine gave him.

Most of the x-men surrounded Forge, helping him where they could. Wanda stood a bit further behind as she merely remained there to watch, while Kurt stood beside her to keep her company, even though no words were said between them till the x-men were done.

"I'm sorry about Lorna" Kurt reached for Wanda's hand but she pulled away.

"Seeing as all is finished here, would you all care to have a meal, it would be ready at demand" She offered her restless guests who have been either working with forge or watching over as herself.

"Got any beer?" Wolverine was the first to accept the offer as he asked

"Logan" Jean turned to him ashamed of his request, and embarrass for the team

"A meal would do us good. Thank you Wanda" Beast accepted the offer and led the rest of the team out of the room.

"Wanda" Kurt once again turned to the brunette.

"It's not your fault Kurt. I don't blame you. However, Gambit..." She shook her head. Astonished as to how she would allow this man to return to their isle

"Is a changed man" he defended the x-men's choice

"None the less, I don't trust him. I hope you understand the need for me to request for him to be supervised" She didn't want to offend Kurt. She knew he was blaming himself over allowing whatever happened to her sister to occur, but truly the fact is that he had no control over the situation what so ever.

"He is supervised by us constantly, but if you want another then do as you wish" Kurt didn't want to upset her. He would let her do as she pleased, but needless to say he was certain she was avoiding the truth of the situation that she has just lost her sister.

"You know, Lorna's not really my sister, biologically speaking" Wanda changed back to the original topic at hand as her thoughts drifted off to where her sister could possibly be

"I don't understand, she has your father's ability" Kurt shook his head

"She has the same mutation, not the same genes. I still thought of her as nothing less than a sister" Wanda corrected, however remained rather detached from the conversation all together.

"We will find her and bring her back Wanda. I doubt John will stop trying, and nor will I to reunite her with you" he smiled to her

"Of course... and Kurt" she leaned into him and kissed him "I'm glad you're alright"

* * *

"Hello petite" Gambit patted Tildie on the head "Remy never thanked you for saving Rogue's life"

"She helped me" Tildie admitted. "I couldn't leave her there" she said almost with a 'DUH' at the end.

"Besides, that's what we trained for" Rogue smiled at the girl and hugged her close.

Tildie seemed uncomfortable, and at realizing it Rogue let her go. "I'm sorry" ever since rogue has noticed her missing ability; she couldn't get out of her sudden hugging mood. She would even hug the pillow just out of sudden need.

"No, it's just ... we never hugged before" Tildie told her

"It's ok petite. Rogue won't hurt you" Gambit explained and rogue thought about his words. She can't hurt her, she can't hurt anyone, she's powerless... and with everything that's been going on it felt selfish to ask McCoy to check up on her mutation. She ignored it, she should be happy, she can touch now, and the voices in her head seem to be quieter, considering they aren't her own thoughts, it's nice to have some space for her own ideas.

"We better sleep. Remy if you would so kindly as to get your butt out of our room, we would like to get some shut eye" Rogue explained and smiled over to Tildie who cheerfully smiled back, recollecting her thoughts to happy ones.

"Mon adieu Cheri" He bowed before he left her room to his down the hall.

* * *

"A victory with losses isn't something to celebrate Logan" Scott spoke as he noted Wolverine reach for the beer

"Who said I'm celebrating" he drank it down and smacked his lips in disgust. "This stuff ain't beer. where's it from?"

"It's made here Logan; you should understand how Genosha is self reliant with its products." Beast explain

He drank the rest of it down, and was stared at by confused witnesses. "It has a good kick to it really" He admitted as he grabbed for another as the rest ate before going to sleep.

* * *

The alarm went off. To think it's been over ten hours already and yet Kitty still struggled waking up. She hit the alarm to snooze for another hour once again but this time Bobby entered the room to wake her.

"Rise and Shine" He encouraged and Lockheed was quick to respond by spitting fire at his direction. "Down boy" he ordered. "Kitty, Illyana's asking for you"

With that Kitty didn't wait another second, she got out of bed, although in a normal pace as usual, she did however keep in mind not to keep the blonde girl waiting as she got into the bathroom.

* * *

"Good morning, or should I say late afternoon" Scott looked over at the two who entered

"Seems like morning, I smell eggs" Bobby commented

"Morning Illyana" Kitty ignored the rest as she approached the not so young blonde girl anymore. "Did you sleep well?" she asked but regretted it as soon as the sadden expression fell upon the girl's face.

"Hey kid" Logan greeted Kitty as he entered the room "Think you could help me out with something?" Kitty looked at him questioningly before he led her out of the room.

"Eggs?" Bobby offered Illyana

"Yes please" she accepted and he poured her some before taking the seat next to her.

* * *

"What did you need Logan?"

"Nothing"

"Then why'd you-"

"Listen kid, you're confused, upset, and most definitely heartbroken. And I feel for you, and I'm just concerned"

"Last person I expected this talk from. Did jean put you up to it?" she realized it was a bit of a low blow, but she really didn't want to be told what she knew.

"I'm serious Pryde. I don't want your judgement clouded. Especially with what I'm trying to plan"

"Right." She dropped the sarcasm as Logan changed his tone

"I need you and Bobby to go and take Ruskie's sister to train. Get her up to speed. No soft stuff, see what she can do, I already explained it to Bobby, but you two need to go as far as you can. We don't have Cerebro to really tell if she's a mutant, but I trust you two to get it out of her" Wolverine explained

"Get what out of her?" Kitty looked at him strangely. She already told them she can do magic.

"Her full potential and yours" Logan left her with that thought.

* * *

"What the-?" Kitty returned to get some food, but it was too late. Seemed like an explosion was set off and Bobby and Illyana were left cleaning.

"I pointed at the eggs and Yana here made it blow up" Bobby joked with a grin. Illyana smiled at how Bobby made it seem funny even as it angered everyone.

"I better go change" With that Kitty left for them to finish cleaning before they had a chance to guilt-trip her into helping. She went to her room and saw her dragon fly in through the window. He landed happily and burped. "I REALLY hope you didn't eat anyone" she smiled as she petted the dragon before she turned to check if the clothes she left were still lying around. Tracksuit bottoms, and a t-shirt; Good, now she could at least wash her uniform from the stench of last night without having to worry about the need to train in it for the day.

* * *

"KITTY?!" Bobby banged on her door to call her out.

"Maybe she's outside?" Illyana suggested but she phased through just at that

"Sorry, I just finished hanging my uniform up to dry. Speaking of which, don't you think yours needs a clean" Kitty admitted as she pointed out that Bobby has been in his uniform for over a day now, and was now covered in eggs

"Oh right. I guess I could always just jump out your window" Bobby made his way to Kitty's window and made his way out to jump.

"Wait, what?" Kitty took a second to realize what he was doing, but just as she went to see, he had disappeared. She heard a splash in the further distance and looked at the fountain further away from her window.

"How'd he?" she turned around to see Illyana smiling. She turned back and peered out the window. "You JERK!"

Kitty took Illyana's hand and stormed out her window, using her phasing ability to walk down to ground level followed by Illyana who was struggling walking on nothing.

"You found out her power, didn't you?" she accused Bobby as she finally reached him.

"Pretty much" Bobby grinned happily

"Smooth... alright then. Illyana" Kitty turned to the blonde girl but Bobby tut-ed.

"It's Yana. Jeez Kitty catch up" Bobby spoke. Kitty gave up at that and ignored him

"Do you know how you just did what you did?" Kitty asked the girl who seemed amused by how she and Bobby were arguing

"Yeah, do you know more than what you showed me till now?" Bobby asked curiously

"I'm not sure" Illyana reluctantly spoke and the two looked at each other without a clue of how to start.

"Well, how about you show me how you helped Bobby transport" Kitty asked, and Illyana smiled. She created a disk of light on the ground. Taking a step onto it she smiled as Kitty, and fell through to appear out of another disk that formed behind her.

"Woah" Kitty said surprised. "I thought you could do magic"

"Oh I can. But this I could do from before"

"Before?" Kitty looked to Bobby quizzically who also didn't follow very well. "You want to try your magic?" Kitty finally asked.

"Right. So you guys do that! I need to do something else. See ya Kitty" Bobby ran off before anyone had to say a word... didn't stop Kitty from trying though

"BOBBY! IF YOU DON'T GET BACK- and he's gone" Kitty smiled at the girl "guess we better start"

* * *

"Professor" Bobby entered the professor's new chambers at Genosha. He was surrounded by white light as his thoughts took over in the Astroplane

"Robert, what's the matter?" Charles asked surprised of the blonde teens visit

"I'm just wondering. In the future, are there any of us hanging around... I mean Wolverine never dies so he's expected, but it's only 20 years from now" Bobby explained

"You are looked up to by many of the younger x-men Robert. You grew to become a fine man, with good morals." The professor explained vaguely

"That's great... what about" Bobby suggested to more

"You and Kitty are two of our most honoured x-men. You truly have made me proud" the professor smiled to Bobby knowingly

"Thanks professor. I'm really glad I joined the x-men" He smiled just as the white surroundings faded and he returned to his physical state.

The future returned to the professor's sight. He looked down from the balcony at the field of gravestone, one of which engraved with:

Robert (Bobby) Drake and Katherine (Kitty) Pryde  
-Iceman- -Shadowcat-  
Saved thousands of mutants lives with their own during Genosha's genocide.

* * *

"So now that there is no more cake left. How about we try this magic thing out" Kitty clapped her hands enthusiastically

"I don't think the cake helped. I can't call on any of it anymore" Illyana explained

"Did I miss much?" Bobby asked as he ran towards them

"Not really, we were just talking. We had some cake" Kitty admitted saddened that the idea of food would regain strength to the blonde. Magic aside, she was only able to use teleporting disks. Maybe she s a mutant after all then

"And didn't leave me any?" Bobby instantly accused

"Nope" Kitty smiled with great achievement "We could try and see how many people you can teleport on one disk at the same time"

"Seriously!? I'm in!" Bobby jerked a thumb at himself just as Lockheed landed on his head

"Lockheed wants to come too" Illyana smiled, having picked up on the dragon's behaviour, and surprisingly gotten along

"Illyana, you sure you can handle teleporting all four of us. Should we test it at least to a short distance... maybe to that tree" Kitty pointed to a tree that was hardly more than ten strides away.

"Bet I can beat you to it" Bobby admitted

"You're on!" Illyana cheered as she grabbed Kitty in a ready stance just as Bobby, with Lockheed still resting on his head, was preparing to make a dash run.

"Wow, Bobby you're a BAD influence. OK..." Kitty took charge as Illyana still held on to her wrist. "on your marks... get set..." with that one of Illyana's disk's began to form beneath her and Kitty "go" a flash of light surrounded Kitty Illyana Bobby and Lockheed as the disk expanded and withdrew leaving no one.

"Catch me if you-" Bobby spoke, but as he opened his eyes recognised no tree to run to.

"Ummm, where are we?" Kitty asked

"I'm not sure" Illyana answered, however having a faint recognition of their surroundings

"You sure tree and hell aren't similar terms to light disks" Bobby responded in sarcasm and he looked around. Hell would be a good start to describe where they were.

"Smells like Kurt right after he ports" Kitty covered her mouth and nose... "Think we can, you know. Leave already?" Illyana nodded and with that attempted to create another disk, where they all stood. Just as they disappeared a large demon looking thing went to where the three teens and dragon were and smiled.

* * *

Kitty, Bobby, and Illyana were now contemplating their findings in Kitty's room.

"Man I need to go chill, that place was hardly a vacation spot for the iceman" Bobby admitted as he went and turned on the air conditioner.

"Go to your own room and freeze it over Bobby." Kitty ordered as she phased through him to turn the ac back to a normal degree.

"Yeah yeah, I'm leaving... but I guess Yana shouldn't teleport anymore" Bobby added

"Not alone anyways" Kitty agreed "do you think you know where we were?" Illyana only shook her head at the question Kitty asked her. "Well, we could ask Kurt"

"Later. How about after a few other tries? I say we go again in an hour, but let me just cool down" Bobby admitted

"I say we ask Kurt first" just as she said it Kurt ported into the room.

"Ask me what Katsechen?"

"Where you go to when you teleport" Bobby asked lamely, but as Kurt frowned he peeked over in interest.

"That is nowhere to go alone mein freunds. It is far too dangerous. How do you know of-"

"We figured since you know, the smoke, and all... couldn't have come from nowhere" Bobby stopped anyone else from talking.

"Well, alright. Logan asked me to check up on you. Seems like everything is under control, Kitty?" Kurt turned to the brunette expecting more of an explanation than what Bobby gave as he grew suspicious of the facial expressions they presented

"Everything is one more thing though. Does this place you go to resemble hell... I mean-" Bobby was quick to nudge Kitty to refrain her curiosity to run free.

"She means, we read this comic book, and well it tried to show hell off and everything, called it something else though"

"It does" Kurt raised a brow in suspicion

"Oh so is it all red, and hot, and feels like your inside a lava cavern?"

"Yes"

"Oh so they got it pretty accurate, cool, thanks Kurt... I was about to complain to the authors, but I trust you. Come on Kitty, Yana lets go back to training" Bobby started to push them out of Kitty's room, and walked away quickly.

"What's with you?"

"Look if we told him he wouldn't let us go back here. Dangerous or not, we are x-men. We are tough enough to handle stronger forces than little demons"

"Little Demons?"

"Well there were little demons in the comic"

"You were serious?"

"Yeah!"

"So should I take us back there?" Illyana asked confused of Bobby's plan.

"Not yet... we need to get some things in check. For example... I want cake!" Bobby walked ahead towards the kitchen and the rest shrugged to each other before they followed.

* * *

An hour passed and it was already dark. The three along with Lockheed went to where they were earlier outside.

"We take no chances." Bobby spoke now already in his ice form.

"Alright, so we are practically exactly where we were this morning" Kitty in her uniform admitted. "can you picture exactly how we got there last time Yana" Kitty turned to Illyana who wore a yellow and black trainee x-men uniform. Bobby smiled at Kitty finally using the nickname he gave Illyana.

"Yes" Illyana nodded and looked down to take a good breathe before she began to focus. The disk formed underneath them, and in seconds they no longer stood in Genosha.

They reappeared in 'Hell' but now stood in front of what looked like Satan's castle.

"Is this meant to be level 2?" Bobby asked

"We're not in a game Bobby" Kitty told him

"Welcome!" a large red demon looking thing appeared in front of the three, and Lockheed, with a devilish grin which was fine, considering he looked like one.

"Freaky" Bobby admitted

"Hey, yeah um... did YOU bring us here?" Kitty pointed at the creature. They didn't come here last time, so it's not like they had a clue as to how to get anywhere else but their last destination

"No, that was the work of this lovely thing..." he bowed and took Illyana's hand to kiss. "Soul sword wielder"

"Wait, hold up Bub" Bobby took on the tough guy act he picked up from Logan and pushed back the demon from Illyana, keeping his hand on his shoulder. Bad call as he felt his already iced hand heat up painfully, thankfully he used his ability to cool the demon's shoulder a few degrees below zero.

"Ah yes, I see you have gifts as well..." at that the ice began to melt and Bobby retreated his hand from the demon's shoulder, burnt. "You see, there is hardly any moisture for you to freeze" he spoke as if mocking Bobby.

"Look... we are just gonna leave now... Illyana" Kitty looked over at the frightened blonde girl

"Leave? That would not be possible... you see you are now within my domain. And only I can set what is to leave and remain"

"So who are you exactly?" Kitty finally asked

"I am Belasco of course! Ruler of limbo" He declared

"oh so this IS limbo!" Bobby spoke in admiration "man to think it does resemble this one artist's illustrations... man do you have flying dragon lava fish"

"What?" Kitty looked at Bobby estranged by his sudden change of attitude

"So what are you like the devil?" Bobby spoke and Belasco laughed at the false assumption

"Foolish human intellect. You can't comprehend where you. Attempts at relating this to your mere stories won't help you"

"Who cares. Listen, let us leave, or I'll bash your head in a billion and one times" Bobby returned to his threatening attitude.

"Relax" Kitty pulled Bobby back by his shoulder gently "listen, I'll give you an ultimatum. How about you let us go, and we give you ten bucks" he didn't seem interested. "Ok fifty bucks, but I can't go any higher"

"Jew instincts taking over kit?" Bobby couldn't resist but make the comment with a whisper.

"I have no interest in animals"

"He's slow" Bobby leaned to Kitty, hiding his mouth movement with his hand from Belasco.

"Well, what do you want from us exactly?" Kitty finally asked

"The soul sword of course" he smiled mischievously, studying Illyana as his prey

"We don't have a sword..." Bobby spoke aloud but with a thought grabbed Lockheed to offer "would a purple dragon do" Belasco looked angered by Bobby's mockery but Kitty was even more annoyed.

"We are NOT offering the dragon" with that Lockheed spat fire and Bobby let him go quickly. "And we don't have a sword"

"Then you're souls will do" Belasco admitted and started to light on fire, growing more fierce as he was preparing to reach for the three. With a quick few words Illyana spoke the three with Lockheed disappeared and returned to their spot back in front of the palace back in Genosha.

"Woah... so much for not being able to leave" Bobby admitted happily.

"Illyana are you ok?" Kitty was now next to Illyana who was shivering and hyperventilating in fear on the ground

"Hey, Yana. It's ok, he wasn't really anything we couldn't handle" Bobby admitted but with that Kitty snapped at him

"Are you insane?! we shouldn't have gone back. For once I thought I'd let you be in charge, but your just as irrational and stupid"

"Hey don't take it out on me, you didn't even say anything. If you didn't want to-"

"You're just unreasonable! You just wanted to go for the adventure, not realizing life's are at stake here"

"Nothing happened!"

"Illyana is freaking out, so shut up, and get lost while I try to calm her down, Dumb shit!"

"Whatever" Bobby stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked away, leaving ice foot prints on the ground with every step.

"Hey, don't worry, you're safe... he really isn't something we can't handle. Lockheed alone can probably fry his brains... not that he had any" Kitty took on the role of humouring the frightened girl who was now hugging the brunette close in fear.

"Come on you can sleep next to me tonight" Kitty petted her head comfortingly.


End file.
